Chasing the Tide
by Kuro The Dark Ringmaster
Summary: Nathan Stark wasn't always a scientist and Nobel Laureate, once he was a struggling student who wanted to make his mark in history. Only to find himself learning that there's more to life than equations. All the while, Jack is trying to run from his past and looks for a brighter future. Perhaps UCLA holds the key to a better life.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

There is a place in the mind, where it is silent. This small corner in which, an individual may spend a lifetime searching for, a slither of silence Ina world that is loud and buzzing. The reason why we search so vigilantly isn't because the world isn't too much, in fact, it's because in this place, in this silence we are one with something even greater, the world. It is this connection to the world around us, the sand, the sun, and the surf that makes us realize that life isn't as complex as we think, its intricate and yet simple at the same time.

This place is difficult to locate but not impossible. Some find it through meditation and self-reflection, while others focus on following the word of others. Yet for some, there is one place where man may meet his maker. One place in which he is no longer superior to the forces which he s learned to battle and prepared. To come face to face with the power of nature and not flinch, no, but to acknowledge it, to respect it and even embrace it.

Out in the warm golden rays of the sun that saturate the earth. That sacred place where water and earth meet and salt permeates the air. The massive blue scape, where over and over the waters shift as often as a butterfly may flap her wings.

Just out on the horizon, where the sea and the sky nearly touch is a very tall man, his sun kissed skin glistens with water from the sea, his dark curly hair is damp, the water slides down his face and slips into his well-trimmed beard. A pair of green eyes showers the water confidently.

The searcher, the dreamer, the inventor, and a man who for the first time in an eternity will allow himself to fall from his lofty position in society, and fall into the caress of a wave placing himself at nature's mercy. The board bobs as his hands hover above the water, feeling the raw power of the ocean under the yellow and red board he's straddling. There's no one else, just him, the waves and calypso.

The engineer draws a deep breath, the water continues to shift and yet he sits. Waiting. Waiting for a chance to meet the gods and not ride the wave, but become part of it. There aren't Ph.D.s given to those who have ridden the tides, Nobel aren't awarded to those who changed the way we view the sea. There's only that primal bond between life, death and nature.

For that moment Nathan Stark, triple Ph.D. and Nobel Laureate ceases to exist.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I've been dying to write a Eureka story, and this little piece came to mind after seeing an image of Ed Quinn knee surfing. Needless to say I just had to write a piece that incorporate the sport into Eureka and work with the pair before they met. Just so you know I'm a fan of Nathan/Jack, so beware.**

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**Chapter One: Breaking Free**

There are patterns all around us, connections which we make between situations base on the delicate reasoning, which we as children have learned to follow and often follow the constructs of already established reasons and policies. Most wander through life without question, obeying each and every notion as though these constructs placed before is, are the most natural thing to accept. With so many patterns it's easy to fall into habits, and eventually consider it a way to lead life. Some consider these habits to be simply the construction of a method in which time is managed, quantified, qualified ad managed effectively to produce a productive day and achieve the goals an individual sets.

Others see this patter as a rhythm, a pace in which, despite the odds everyone learns to accept and feels free to interoperate, much like a musician understands what waltz time is but feels free to modify his sets accordingly based upon instrument, key signature and general mood, the last part is far more common with Jazz musicians.

There was a rush of feet, the click of dress shoes, squeak of sneakers, sliding of loafers and smack of flip flops against the soles of feet in the atrium of Grand Central Train Station. Commuters cradling coffees in one hand, and brief cases in the other rushing past gaping tourists who were craning their necks to look up at the mural on the ceiling. Trains pulling into platforms at different times, the purchasing of tickets and passengers exiting the cars in waves.

Striding through the chaos known affectionately as the Morning Commute was a tall young man, dressed in a suit with dark curly hair and a short but neat beard. His green eyes were a bright and alert as he cradled a cup of coffee in one hand and a note book in the other. At first this rush of people was intense and years ago he same towering young man with broad shoulder's would avoid it as much as possible. He had grown up in a small town in Oregon called Eureka, after the famous words cried by Archimedes. After a few months he had learned that it was pointless when faced with a stampeded to cower. It didn't slow them down or stop temp from marching forward, no it only prevented d him from dashing to see what was waiting for him on the horizon of the next day sooner.

"Nathan!" called a familiar voice.

Nathan turned around quickly to find himself looking at an all too familiar Croatian man, "Kevin," he greeted with a broad grin. Kevin West had started attending MIT several years after Nathan, he had left Eureka at thirteen after being invited to study at MIT. While the classes were brutal and the age gap was or it. Kevin was one of the few people he trusted and enjoyed talking to.

Unlike most students who had treated him with something akin to disdained, Kevin who was 19, welcomed him with open arms. Kevin was four years older than him, but seemed to recognize that Nathan wasn't the type to take friendship lightly. It wasn't until Kevin asked Nathan for assistance in the lab with his thesis that Nathan saw the man as more than a friend. His dark chocolate brown akin and nearly black eyes made most people shiver, but Nathan liked that about the man, his aura alone was more than enough to keep those who wished to harm him away.

Kevin was dressed in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt with a pair of sneakers on, Nathan hummed, it was his day to work with Dr. Rosenthal. After completing his Master's in Physics, he was asked to work as an Assistant Professor. While the job had menial tasks it did give him access to the labs and reference materials that he would otherwise have to fight to get his hands on. Not to mention the fact that he could do as he pleased with little question from the Dean. Kevin later joined him and they ended up working together to keep one of the most discombobulated professors at NYU above water.

It wasn't unusual for a student to seek them out for aid in papers or homework. It was also t norm to see Nathan's tight scrawl on papers, since he graded nearly all of them. "So what do I have to grade this morning?" asked Nathan with irritation before taking a sip of coffee, he was tired of the constant grading, especially since they had been gifted a remedial class. He had been loaned to NYU and these days spent more time copying and grading.

Kevin sighed as he opened the door for Nathan and replied, "Lecture, apparently the good Doctor is sick," his tone was laced with irritation. This 'illness' was probably a hangover. "Of course it's Monday, why wouldn't he be hung over?" he replied callously. The streets were flooded with people, moving back and forth in constant motion, Nathan dogged a cyclist and shouted, "WATCH IT!" He shook his head and continued walking, "You're sounding more and more like a city kid every day," mused Kevin.

Nathan smirked, to think he grew up in small town USA, now was gliding through the streets of Manhattan. "Well we all adapt eventually, so, I take it you've got lab work," remarked the brunet as he opened t doors to the building. Kevin followed behind and hummed after taking a sip of coffee, "Yeah something like that, look meet me for lunch," Kevin stated, "I may have a way to get us out of these arguments and still get our doctorates from MIT."

Green eyes snapped to Kevin, "West, don't trifle with me, you and I both know Blaine's word is law when it comes to submitting dissertations," he hissed. Blaine that was one of the few names Nathan added a little extra venom into his voice when he was forced to spit the name. The man was brilliant, but manipulative, he thought his brilliance knew no bounds and was the bane of any student looking to get a Ph.D. in Physics.

Kevin laughed and shook his head, "Hang in there Stark, you better book it or you'll be late to the remedial class you have to cover," Kevin jeered. Nathan looked at his watch and grumbled before picking up the pace and walking toward the lecture hall. "Lunch, Stark! Don't be late!" called Kevin, only earning him a wave as the young man made his way to the class room.

Nathan stopped short of the door of the room and mumbled, "Welcome to purgatory," he wasn't religious, but if hell did exist was certain this was it. With ease he opened the door and entered the hall. Slouching against the long desks, chagrin with one another was 'his' class. Technically they weren't his, but he spent more time with them than the professor. Most of them were students who needed a few credits for another degree and saw physics as easy. In his world these people were the most insulting. He had committed a bulk of his life to learning about the world around him, to understand the physical world in all its beauty. Yet, these louts were simply looking for a passing grade and didn't care for the beauty of the world around them.

"Good morning, open your books to page 374," he commanded, his voice carried through the room effortlessly. As the lecture progressed, he watched the students acquire a glassy look in their eyes and stare at him blankly. It was going to be a long morning; he could feel it dragging already. Physics was easy he could do the math in his sleep, the numbers would bow to him, it all made such simplistic sense he despised teaching it to simpletons who didn't see the elegance of it all. He could hear the second hand ticking and found himself wishing for a way to speed it up.

His mind wandered to Kevin, perhaps the arrangements he was hinting at would work in his favor. After all, these days he was acting more like a tutor and warden than a genius physicist. He was 13 when he enrolled at MIT and was 15 when he met Kevin. Now he was 20, soon to be 21, and was considered potentially one of the greatest minds in science. Several students chuckled causing him to tense, every single one of them was older than him, and they knew it. He placed the chalk on the ledge of the chalkboard and huffed.

"He's probably a virgin," whispered one of the men. Nathan grit his teeth as he clapped his hands together and rubs his fingers, feeling the chalk dust in the ridges of his fingers. He looked at his hands, examining the scars from working on projects in the garage and then looked up at them. "Perhaps, but at least I know I'll be wealthier than the average social servant," he stated as he crossed his arms.

A wave of irritation surged through the room. He wouldn't be reduced to such a state. He had worked far too hard to fall from such a great height. "My sexual life is none of your business, in fact, I would rather you focus on the fact that all of you have an exam in two days and have yet to meet the actual professor," he snapped, "Perhaps if I wasn't teaching his section I would be able to actually go out for coffee." His anger was boiling and all too quickly words were falling from his lips, words that in many ways he didn't regret, it was the truth after all.

Regret wasn't something Nathan was familiar with when it came to his actions and what he said. In truth he didn't regret a word of what had just fallen from his lips. It felt liberating to finally voice his displeasure to people who might listen. His work was hanging in the balance of one discombobulated professor and an arrogant man who wouldn't allow for another's brilliance to shine. He looked at the group and when he had expected scathing remarks he got looks of shock.

None of them knew, not a single one of them realized he wasn't the professor, he was an assistant. A tall young woman with long blonde hair rose from her seat, "You're not the professor?" she inquired earnestly. She had frequently been the one firing scathing remarks about his sexual encounters. Nathan's shoulders fell as he suddenly felt vulnerable. "No, I'm a student with a Masters in Physics, Chemistry and Applied Sciences," he replied sorely, "I graduated MIT with a Masters in Physics at 17, I started at 13. Next fall is my final semester before I receive my doctorate."

At that moment he felt humiliated he spoke a good game, but now they knew he didn't have the credentials, just a brilliant mind. Instinctively he began to gather his papers, not lifting his gaze from the desk, he couldn't look at them. "Wait, you were 13 when you started at MIT?" asked a deep voice, it belonged to Raines, a young man who also enjoyed shooting searing remarks at him. Nathan drew a deep breath, as though somehow this action would allow him to gather the courage to respond. "Yes, I graduated High School at 12," he said, "As you guessed I'm only 20."

He finished gathering his pages and pens before turning to retrieve the chalk he had brought. He could probably sign his dissertation down the river, no one was going to look at it now. "You mean to tell us, you're an Assistant who is 20, and teaching because our Professor never showed?" asked a student, irritation was clear as a bell in her rough voice, it grated on Nathan's ears like sandpaper. He turned his attention to the front of the room and erected his familiar mask of indifference, "Yes, otherwise this section would have been canceled," he intoned.

Class was nearly over and he could tell he was going to have to pray for that thing Kevin was working on to come through, he had destroyed every shot he had of working at NYU. "Mister Stark, could you explain Hooke's Law again? With the math?" asked the young blonde. Nathan was about to retreat when he found every student sitting up and looking at him. It was as though they had gained a new understanding of just what he had been tolerating for the past semester. "Sure," he replied as he placed the pages down again and walked back to the board.

With ease he turned to the group and tossed the chalk in his palm, "Hooke's Law states that the force required to compress a spring by some distance must be proportional to that distance," he stated, _"F _being force, and _X _being that distance, _k_ is the constant for the spring." He wrote down the variables as he spoke, "Following this logic, how do we set up the equation?" he asked.

The room was quiet as he waited for an answer, he was praying someone was willing to indulge him, "_F=kX_?" asked Raines. Perhaps it wasn't a lost cause, he smiled a little and replied warmly, "Indeed it is, but that equation works under what assumption?" he asked his smiling working its way into his voice. It was nice to have them try, now he could understand how Henry could teach. It was satisfying when they were able to not only remember but apply what he had lectured on. "The spring being linear, sir," replied a young brunet.

Nathan nodded, "On your exam you will only be dealing with linear springs, you guys aren't the engineers so don't panic," he remarked. Perhaps he would be able to get through this lecture.

Before he even realized it, he had managed to survive not only the lecture but was well on his way to lunch. Oddly not a single student reported him for his poor conduct, rather they treated him with far more respect than he was accustomed to. Each of them handed in their papers and asking questions, for the first time they engaged in his discussion, rather than leaving him to fill the air for an hour and twenty minutes with his own voice.

He walked with his jacket swung over his shoulder as he walked to their typical hide out, a small deli not far from the campus. The coffee was good and the owner knew how to make a killer sandwich. The bell above the door rang as it was jostled by Nathan opening the door. Sitting at their typical table was Kevin, smiling with two hot cups of coffee and a pair of sandwiches wrapped in paper. "You've become a legend at NYU, you should hear your students," Kevin teased as Nathan took a seat.

Curiosity worked its way into Nathan's expression as his brow furrowed and he looked at Kevin in bewilderment. "Don't worry none of the professors have told our beloved Dr. Rosenthal, but they agree with you. Your students are scrambling, something about you proving it's possible to do anything since you're only 20 with a Masters," he mused as he licked mustard off his thumb. Of course his outburst had reached Kevin's ears.

The brunette crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat, "If you're going to berate me, don't bother. I don't regret it. Actually I do, I should have done it sooner," he stated. Kevin smiled brightly and laughed as he shook his head. They had been friends long enough to know that Nathan truly didn't care what he said. "Nate, that's pointless. You'd do it again anyway," Kevin said as he pointed at the Physicist. Nathan shrugged before picking up his coffee. He didn't bother retorting, there was no point if it was true. The white paper was crisp as he unwrapped his typical sandwich, fried eggplant with peppers onions, lettuce, tomato and a little goat cheese, shelled with two pieces of golden chibatta bread.

Kevin whipped his hands on a napkin, his brown eyes were on his sandwich, "I got a call several days ago, I thought it was a hoax it was that good," he stated. Nathan perked up, offers were something he wasn't a stranger to, but for it to catch Kevin's eye it had to be something good. Kevin wasn't known to jump at just anything, he wasn't impulsive, and he was the kind of scientist who liked to know all his odds before making a leap. "Dr. Henry Deacon called, he is offering the both of us positions on his research team," stated Kevin, "We will have full access to the labs as well as the contingency for our own lab space if we choose. He just has to approve it. After that, you will have to assist in the class room, maybe teach a class or two but he will be there to aid."

Nathan gaped at Kevin, this was ideal, he would have full access to labs, and be able to do his work. Not to mention he was going to work with Henry again, he hadn't seen the man since his MIT days and was aching to work with a real Physicist. "What's the catch?" asked Nathan after a moment, his brain had finished processing all the information when he noticed Kevin had neglected to tell him just where Henry was.

A nervous smile curled Kevin's large lips as he replied with a trace of anxiety, "UCLA."

UCLA, California. Instantaneously his brain slipped into over drive, "When?" he asked quickly. Kevin was taken aback before answering, "This summer semester, with the possibility of longer depending on if he wants to keep us." California during the summer, it was hot especially in LA but they had a decent enough program for Henry, after all Henry had been one of the people who designed the shuttles and a number of projects for NASA, not to mention all the other projects he had been called in to aid.

There was another advantage, it was the summer, which meant he had the chance to actually date, even if the work was going to be grueling, it meant he could actually attempt to find a companion that wasn't his right hand.

Nathan dabbed his mouth with the napkin, Kevin's grin was infectious as Nathan said, "Let's do it. I'm sick of New York anyway." Kevin was up and walked over to a payphone, obviously he had been so excited that he had memorized the number to contact Deacon.

~~CT~~

Envelopes are rather dreadful things, they're ambiguous and often only give us a hint of what is inside them based upon the sender. Standing out starkly against the white paper in blue ink was the unmistakable crest of UCLA. Fingers gripped it tightly for a moment, as dread ran through their owner. Law enforcement programs had always been considered one of the most difficult programs to enter, they required a number of skills and the drive to perform well under pressure.

Tanned fingers slipped under the lip of the envelope, he hummed as he slowly as he ripped it open. Bright blue eyes flickered over the header and he jumped in the air, "Yes!" he shouted as he pumped his fist. Blonde hair glistened in the sun and he grinned, "Carter!" shouted the familiar voice of Mike, his best friend and first baseman for his hometown team. "Mike!" he shouted as he waved the letter in the air as though it were his ticket to greatness, "Guess who got into the Criminal Justice Program at UCLA?" he shouted. He jumped in the air and dashed across the dusty parched earth, kicking up yellow dust as he did so.

Just a few paces away was Mike, his eyes were wide as he adjusted his bright yellow baseball cap with the Owl's logo on it. "Awesome!" shouted Mike. Jack skidded to a stop before t young man. His heart was still heavy after being told he would have to give up on baseball. All his life he dreamed of becoming a major league player. Now he was aiming to become a Marshal.

Since he was in little League, Jack dreamed of being a pitcher, now Mike was going to be. Jack smiled a little, he had to get away, too many memories of what had been and glimpses of what could have been. Mike snapped his gum and tossed a white ball with red stitching in the air, "So you starting this summer?" asked Mike.

Jack nodded as he picked up his duffle and began walking toward his old red Ford Pickup truck. There was a large dent in the bed, and the paint looked more orange than red thanks to the harsh rays of the sun and the yellow earth that was more like a cloud than actual soil. Jack looked down at his faded blue jeans and well-worn trainers. His family wasn't broke, but they weren't too well off. He was lucky he could finish high school.

His best subjects were psychology and history, he hated anything math and since based, well everything that didn't explain why people acted like they did. He wasn't a fool, this was his break to see t world. Otherwise he would end up returning to this sad little town and teaching during the day, only to coach baseball in the afternoons.

Jack threw his bag in the bed and listened to the aluminum bats hit the hard be of the truck, "Yup," he replied, letting the p pop at t end. He noticed Mike purse his lips and give him a look as he got in the cab. He pretended not to notice, he knew everyone was waiting for him to fail. No one could be accused of calling Jack intelligent, he was what most considered an all American Boy, who was a little slow. The only thing that had been fast with him was his Fast Ball. The truck rumbled to life as he turned the key. The air was dry and the sun was bright.

"Mike, pass me my cap," he commented. Mike reached around the seat and grand the yellow and white hat that had the same Owls logo on it. Unlike Mike's that was a resilient canary yellow, and t white stitching was pristine, Jack's cap looked as though it had actually been worn, the rim was bent, the yellow had tinged from age and the once white sitting looked ivory. Jack placed the familiar hat on his head and continued down the road.

The closer he got to town, the closer together houses seemed to get. They had be snarled Ina drought that parched the land and resulted in not a blade of green grass. The houses themselves were standing but only just. In a Muir of ways the town had passed away. He smiled a little as he watched kids riding their bikes down the street, boys were playing catch and the girls seemed to enjoy gossiping. The shop windows were lined with products but the number of those which were serving was far fewer than those who had en forced to close their doors.

Texas had seen better days, and he knew it. Jack sighed as he passed the High School and drove toward the ball fields. He had en lucky to find a sponsor, oddly someone had taken putty on him and offered him a chance to make a better life for himself, to get out of Texas and help people. "I'm goin' to miss ya' man," said Mike morosely. Jack hummed as he flicked on his directional, "Mike, its California, not that far away, besides, you've got to worry about making a team," said Jack with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Once more Mike snapped his gum, "I'll make it, besides I'm the best pitcher," bragged Mike. Jack chuckled humorously, Junior Year he would have been the best, if he hadn't destroyed his shoulder. After the car accident that had killed his girlfriend, it still hurt to think about her, he had to get away for a bit. "I'm sure you'll be great," he said simply as he stopped the car and finally parked it. Just through the windshield he could see the pathetic excise they had for a ball field. All the while the football team had a lush emerald green carpet hat was manicured to perfection. It mad Jack envious, as always people were willing to pay more attention to t football team.

Mike jumped out of the cab and shouted to the team, Jack couldn't wait to leave this place. Perhaps California held the future he desired. Jack leaned on the steering wheel and listened to the crack of a baseball bat, as the ball made contact with it, sending the small white orb across the field. Long and tied fingers rubbed his shoulder; he could still feel the ghost like throb of pain. It always took him a moment or two to put on his mask of joy to watch the boys practice.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment as he thought of what it had felt like to throw a fast ball. The slightly smooth white leather under his fingers, the way the pads of them brie against the red seams of the ball as he adjusted his fingers. The smell of leather from his mitt and the snug fit of it on his hand. The way the sun hit the back of his neck and the collar of his inform rubbed the base of it.

The feeling of the freshly laundered white uniform against his skin, it was snug and yet loose around the shoulders and chest. How even though the sun was blinding, he could see the pitcher waiting with his mitt wide open for the arrival of the pitch. He could remember the familiar motion of his body as he pulled his arm back, bringing his entire body along for the ride. He was a child again playing catch as he thrust his arm in an arc, the power moving through his entire body as he put his hope, pride and determination into the ball. He could remember the way would stumble forward as the ball left his fingers, the only thin aiding it now were the merciful angels.

All he could do was watch the ball as it sailed over home plat, into the waiting hand of the catcher.

He sighed as he opened his eyes. He wasn't on the mound, he was sitting in his truck. Jack opened door and tugged at his red shirt. The door slammed as he closed it and walked toward the back of the truck. He reached into it, snatching the black bag after a moment and hoisting it over his good shoulder. There was no point in prolonging it, soon enough he would be off to UCLA, and wouldn't have to return for a while.

In all honesty he had chosen to attend Summer Semester because he wanted tote ahead, that and prove that he was able to learn, even with his C average. The only concern he had was English and Math, both of which he didn't like. Math was always difficult for him to grasp, and when variables were thrown it, he was only confused further. English, he had never been good with words, he liked actions.

Jack walked over to the dugout and placed his bag inside it. One more practice and then he was off to LA. He hummed as he leaned on the wall and watched the members of the team throw the ball to one another as the batter got warmed up.


	3. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I couldn't resit I had to have a little fun and that fun happened to be having characters run into one anther. I hope you enjoy._

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**Chapter Two: Welcome to LA**

Nathan smiled madly with anticipation as he walked through the terminal, he had his bag swung over his shoulder and he smirked, his hopes were up and felt happy for the first time in years. His hips swung as he walked, he loved the golden rays of the sun on his skin, a smirk curled his lips. If this went over well he was going to not only establish himself in the Engineering world but he would be a major player. Prior to leaving he had submitted his resignation from NYU and wished his students luck. He ran his hand through his slightly long hair, it need a trim big time.

Kevin was right behind him and said, "Okay, I have a condo, what kind of arrangements did you make?" Nathan looked over his shoulder and hummed, he had called Henry and the scientist had offered the couch or the beach house he never bothered to use. Nathan took the beach house. It was small but had a great view and was air conditioned, which was a must in such a hot and dry place. He walked by several girls who wrinkled their noses at him and he huffed. Of course he was being judged. "Henry's letting me borrow his beach house," he replied with a shrug.

Silence was between the two before Kevin shouted, "What!" he could hear the disbelief in his voice was evident as he said so. Nathan smirked, Henry was from Eureka and the town tended to look after it's own. It wasn't unusual for Eurekans to extend resources both in and out of town. "Henry is from the same town I grew up in," Nathan elaborated as though this answered it all.

In many ways it did, however, Kevin never knew where Nathan was from and in many ways the brunet wasn't allowed to tell him. Before leaving his hometown he had signed an NDA stating he wouldn't speak of any of the technology in Eureka or the presence of Global Dynamics, it was painful but until he had a PhD he wouldn't be able to utter a word. Kevin shook his head as he slipped on a pair of black sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun. "Seriously man, you have scary connections," he remarked.

He chuckled humorously as he continued his path toward the doors. His vision was so narrowed that he hadn't expected to be knocked into. Nathan jumped slightly as he looked at the person who had walked into him. "Sorry," said a rather pleasant voice, it was slightly higher than his own. Green eyes flickered down as he looked into a pair of ocean blue eyes; they were narrowed slightly as though their owner was attempting to ascertain if he had been injured. He had a golden tan, as though he emitted the same rays as the sun. Thick sandy blonde hair covered his head, it was short and well trimmed. Yet it wasn't these things that baffled Nathan, but his forgiving and wide smile. It was charming and soothing to see.

"No, it's my fault," the Physicist replied. He stared at the man before him curiously, wondering just where he was from, he had a slight drawl, but nothing glaringly obvious. Jack laughed and shook his head, "Nah, I spaced," he replied lightly as he adjusted his bag, Nathan watched the muscles of his arm flex and noticed how he seemed to favor one side more. "You sure you're okay? I hit your pretty hard," the young man continued. Nathan was quiet as he took in a few more details; his eyes flickered to a canary yellow baseball cap with the word Owls on it.

A strong hand landed on his shoulder, jolting the man from his musings; oddly it was a nice gentle touch for someone who was rather brutish. "Yes, I'm alright. It's not the first time," he replied lightly, smiling as he did so. The blonde hummed and smiled warmly, "I'm Jack by the way," he said as he held out his free hand to Nathan. The brunette looked at the extremity and debated for a moment if he should let it fall only to find himself wrapping his hand around it and responding, "Nathan."

Jack was such an ordinary name, then again Nathan wasn't much better, but it did lead to an issue, it didn't help Nathan figure out just where Jack was from or who he was. He was accustomed to figuring out just which borough a person was from based on accent in the city and knew what they were accustomed to seeing. Yet with Jack, he was in the dark. His hones skills were rendered useless against the man who had been kissed by the sun.

"Nate, come on man I want to get to my house and since the car's in your name I have to hitch a ride with you!" called Kevin. It wasn't until that moment that he realized Kevin had left him there for a while. He looked over to see the dark skinned man standing impatiently by the doors. Nathan nodded before returning his attention to Jack. "See you around, Jack," he said as he adjusted his grip on his bag, he honestly began regretting packing so much. He honestly could have simply bought most of it when he arrived, then again he did put a majority of his possessions in storage.

The young blonde grinned as he put his baseball hat on and replied, "You too Nathan." Nathan smiled as he walked over to Kevin; he just couldn't wait to get set up in Henry's place. It had been a long day between all the paperwork, the packing, running through LaGuardia, the flight itself, and now trying to get through LAX. Oddly Jack bumping into him was a nice moment; it reminded him just how different his life was. His eyes flickered to his hands; they were lily white from all the time spent in a classroom rather than a lab. They were nothing like Jack's tanned hands and oddly he wondered if everyone in LA had a tan.

Kevin hummed as he opened the door for him, "So how did the conversation with the norm go? Did you make his brain melt?" asked Kevin teasingly. Nathan huffed and glared at Kevin, he was slightly irritated by the fact that Kevin had so little faith in him. Then again, Kevin had known him the longest, and part of Nathan knew if he were in New York he would have reduced the person who had knocked into him into a puddle. He smirked as he walked over toward the man who had brought the rental car and signed for it.

He heard a gasp beside him and knew it was Kevin's, "What now?" he asked as he looked over the clipboard at the black BMW. It was his car of choice after all, "A beamer? Man where do you get this money?" asked Kevin in shock as Nathan popped the trunk and collected the keys form the man who had brought the car, "Since when to rental agencies drop the car off?" Nathan shrugged, there was usually a car waiting for him when he arrived, it wasn't unusual for him.

The Physicist placed his suitcase in the trunk and closed it with ease. "Well I do some things on the side," he replied. Kevin got into the passenger side as Nathan slipped into the driver's seat. Kevin snorted and shot him a rather un-amused look, "Okay I have a few patents," replied Nathan sheepishly. He had never really told his friend about his side ventures. Typically people would seek him out to adjust kinks in designs and even craft key molds. "A few?" Kevin pressed, skeptic as always.

Nathan huffed as he turned the key in the ignition and put the car in drive. "Okay, eight of them. Look it's not much," he replied sharply as he flipped his directorial on and pulled into traffic. "Not much? Dude, I don't have a single one! Seriously eight of them? You're probably fucking rich," he hissed. Dark brown brows scrunched together as the Physicist shook his head, "It's only a few million," he said, "Okay about two and a half mill, nothing huge though," he replied. Kevin's mouth hung open and oddly for the rest of the ride he was silent. Clearly Kevin didn't know him as well as he thought.

In reality, he didn't need the PhD, but he craved it. He desired to show the world that he was truly the leader and capable of breaking boundaries of science. "So you're rich, no biggie, but you're seriously going to have to do something about your appearance at some point," he stated. Nathan rolled his eyes and focused on the road, appearance wasn't his concern it was his education that was.

~~CT~~

Blue eyes rested on the place the tall young man had been. It was strange, Jack had never found himself admiring another man so much before. Though Nathan wasn't what most considered attractive, fashion wise he wasn't in touch with the trend, but there was something about the tall dark man he liked. Jack groaned and mumbled, "This is ridiculous, he's probably an actor attempting to blend in." It was LA after all and surly someone Nathan's height was in the business. Despite his hair and clothing he was rather good looking, it wouldn't be a stretch for him to be on the silver screen. The strangest part was the fact that Nathan had said he'd see him around.

Jack adjusted his baseball cap before walking out the door and heading over to the bus stop. He had decided to catch a flight rather than drive, it was certainly faster and he didn't feel comfortable driving so far after the recent accident. He had only recently gotten accustomed to driving short distances. He boarded the coach bus that had been waiting to take students to UCLA, apparently because of the number of applicants the college saw it as beneficial to send a bus rather than deal with taxis.

He sank into one of the blue seats and hummed as he watched other students get on, many of them were grinning with delight and chatting. He watched people of all walks of life board, artists, musicians, theater groupies, writers, athletes, and a few he would peg as science majors. Yet, with all these different people boarding he had never felt more alone. It was strange to be in a crowd of people and feel as though he were the only one. He sighed sadly as he looked out the window.

"Mind if I sit here?" asked a soft voice, it was beautiful and sounded as though it's owner was singing. Jack looked over to see a young woman with mocha colored skin and deep brown eyes; she had a pair of lush lips and long brown hair that had been straightened with an iron. She was wearing a light blue dress and sandals, at that moment Jack was sure he had seen a future model. "Sure," his voice cracked as he replied and he mentally smacked himself.

She smiled warmly as she took a seat beside him, "Hi," she said softly as she slipped a lock of her hair behind her ear, "I'm Allison Blake," she said sweetly. She smelt of lilies and Jack noticed how despite everything her hands didn't match the rest of her, they were a little rough which lead him to believe she was either an engineer, an architect or in medicine. "Jack Carter," he replied courteously.

Allison grinned and asked, "What's your major?" Blue eyes fell on her curiously, it was a natural question but for some reason he felt as though she were asking about more than just his area of study but didn't put too much stock into it. She seemed to glow like the sun, "Criminal Justice, I want to be a Marshal. You?" he asked. She chuckled a little and shook her head, "I'm a professor, I specialize in Neurosciences," she replied.

Jack stared at her, she was a professor, a young and very attractive one at that. "Um, why are you on the bus?" he asked hesitantly. He tilted his head to the side in an attempt to understand what would cause her to get on with a bunch of teens heading to college for the first time. Most professors drove nice cars and were already on campus. Allison –Dr. Blake- shrugged, "I had to run back to Harvard and sort out a Paperwork kink," she replied nonchalantly. Harvard, she had just said Harvard casually as though it were just a small community college, not one of the oldest Ivy Leagues in the US. Clearly she was from money and a place where people tended to attend the finest universities.

Allison patted his arm and said, "Don't worry you'll be alright," Jack noticed a teasing smile on her lips. Jack shook his head and ran his fingers over the familiar stitching of the cap. The bus jerked forward to leave the spot, and began to head down the streets. The rest of the time Allison was flickering through a medical journal. She seemed nice but his mind kept wandering back to the dark and mysterious man he had literally run into.

The streets flew by and Jack watched in fascination, massive buildings shifted before his eyes as he watched sports cars slip by. Palm trees were waving and women strutted in designer clothing, men strode by in assorted looks and even statues were shined to perfection. This wasn't Texas, money seemed to leak through the crowd, California was clearly different from his home town, it wasn't just bustling it was rushing past and running wild.

Jack felt his senses go into overload as the bus took a turn down another boulevard and turned toward the entrance of the campus. Rising out of the ground in stunning red bricks was the campus. It looked every bit the college he had expected, sprawling green lawns, excellent mason work. "Welcome to UCLA," said Allison as Jack attempted to stop gaping. The bus came to a stop and several students let out an excited yell, they were officially going to be college students, as soon as they received their IDs. The doors of the bus opened and Jack honestly thought all hell had just broken loose. Students were clambering to get off the bus and step onto the campus.

"Welcome to UCLA!" shouted a young man over the crowd he was walking over to Jack. Unlike the young blonde from Texas, this man was massive and had muscle everywhere. He was a staggering 6'2" and had angular features, he had a dark tan and looked . "Jack Carter right?" asked the man as he gave Jack a once over, obviously he was skeptical, Jack swallowed nervously and looked at the man who looked more like a wall. "Yes," he replied hesitantly.

The man smiled brightly and slapped Jack on the arm, "Great, I'm Shane Lupo. I'm here to welcome you to the Criminal Justice section and serve as your mentor," he replied as he began to guide Jack to the dorms. Students were on the lawns and music seemed to blare from various sections of grass. Chatter buzzed around them, it was electrified by the arrival of what most would consider traditionally fresh meat. "You want to be a Marshal?" asked Shane as he began to climb the steps of the dorm. Jack craned his neck up and stared at the massive red brick building, it was far more intimidating than he had expected. He felt as though he were a mere dwarf standing before a mighty empire.

Shane snapped his fingers before Jack's face and asked, "Kid, you still with me?" Jack snapped his jaw closed and nodded dumbly. Shane laughed and shook his head, "Don't worry I had the same look on my face when I got here. I'm from a small coal mining town, I got lucky when I landed my sponsor," he stated as he guided Jack into the dorms. "Yeah I want to be a Marshal," he replied as he looked at Shane.

Ever since the accident he realized that he didn't want to just catch bad guys, he wanted to protect people from all kinds of danger. Being a Marshal meant he would make a difference, "It's a good career choice, I would know, my old man was one," replied Shane with a grin, "and I want to be one too." Jack cracked a smile as he listened to Shane, he could tell the man before him was passionate and had a feeling he was going to be learning from one of the best examples on campus.

Shane gestured for him to follow and they began to walk up the stairs, "I live off campus, so you will have to rely on your floor monitor McKenna and you're roommate," he explained as he gestured to the room Jack was going to be in. He tossed Jack the key and smiled as he said, "You're schedule," as he handed Jack the paperwork, "You're first class is at 8 am," he stated. The door behind Jack opened and he looked over his shoulder only to see a young man with large glasses on and a dungeons and dragons cape on.

Jack's eyes bugged out, he may have been from a small town in Texas but he knew wired when he saw it and this was certainly it. "Greetings norm!" said the young man chipperly with a wide smile. Jack stared at the banners above the brunet's bed; he was short, scrawny, pale and looked as though he hadn't left his basement in the last decade. "NO!" shouted Jack in terror as he looked at Shane who was grinning with glee. "You can't be serious!" he shouted as he watched the kid pull out a wooden sword and swing it experimentally.

Shane was grinning with glee, his brown eyes sparkled as his lips pulled back to show a wide smile, "Completely. He's a Physics Major," he replied. Jack shook his head rapidly, he could see all his boxes had been brought in but he didn't like this idea. He barely got along with his own class, let alone a guy in a cloak. "This isn't funny! I so want to trade!" he shouted as Shane began to walk away. McKenna, or at least Jack though that's who the ginger was with blue eyes who stuck his head out of the door of the room that was labeled floor monitor was, said, "Sorry Jack, no trading, no swapping, no complaining."

There was no way he was going to deal with this, "Shane!" shouted Jack only to get a backward wave from the man who was already retreating. "Welcome to college! Have fun Jack!" he called over his shoulder. Jack huffed in frustration, perhaps this wasn't the best thing to ever happen to him. He turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed the kid standing behind him. "Hey, want to help me slay the Orc king?" he asked as he held out a pair of red dice. Jack wrinkled his nose and replied, "I think I'll pass, thanks though."

~~CT~~

Kevin had gone to his condo with a great deal of protest, however as much as Nathan liked him; he wasn't going to allow the man into his sanctuary. Henry had said the place was small, but Nathan had learned from experience that small was always a relative thing. The house was fairly far from most of civilization and instantly he could understand why Henry didn't use it often. He rolled down the windows and was greeted by a scent he hadn't experienced in a long time. Nathan wasn't a beach vagrant, he was typically inside, he didn't like the beached they were crowded. Screaming kids, shouting mothers, men strutting like peacocks and women attempting to jump anything that moved, it wasn't his idea of a good time.

Yet this was different, the smell of salt caressed his nose and he could hear the gentle roll of the tides. The tension from travel and the fact that he may have just shot himself in the foot back in New York vanished. The air was cool and clean, he loved the way it seemed to lull him. The sun was setting causing the landscape to spark a beautiful array of golds, oranges and crimsons. The flora slowly transformed from the sweet trees and shrubs to sandy dunes with long billowing grasses. He took a turn down another road, it was slightly narrow, for a moment the Physicist began to wonder if he were in the right place. He was certain he had followed Henry's map properly, yet there was always room for error since a number of signs were missing.

He continued down the road only to see a small house rise out of the ground, with a fence before it. He looked over the wheel at the quaint structure. It was modern with sleek edges and rounded, it looked as though the concrete and steel had somehow taken a life of it's own. There was a garage detached from the house and Nathan noticed a plaque and the gate, "Residence of Doctor Henry Deacon, 421 Slate Rock Lane," it read in neat script. A smile swept across Nathan's face as he got out of his Beemer and opened the gate with the key Henry had sent in advance. Once open Nathan drove into the horseshoe shaped driveway and parked outside. His curiosity getting the better of him as he turned off the car and walked toward the front door, he didn't want to waste time putting his car away, he was far more interested in just what the place looked like inside.

Nathan slipped the brass key into the lock, he listened to the tumblers shift before finally pushing the door open. It was easy as he did so and slowly peaked inside. It was an open floor plan with a number of windows and doors, all letting the light in. He noticed the linen curtains hanging around them, the floors were a washed gray and the walls were a darker wood with a white ceiling. He slowly walked into the room and looked at the sleek rounded furniture and the fireplace in the corner. There was a wall of glass at the back of the house with a pair of large doors.

He looked around keenly, there were houseplants, journals laying around and a wall of books. Toward the kitchen there was a gray stone breakfast bar with several dark wicker stools. The sound of the waves caressing the shore echoed through the space as he slowly continued to walk through the space. Green eyes glanced into the kitchen and noticed it was state of the art with stainless steel appliances, he knew Henry could cook but hadn't expected a professional kitchen. Resting atop of the stone bar was a note written in familiar all too familiar scratch.

_Nathan,_

_I'm glad you chose to stay in my Beach House. There is a generator already hooked up, it's from Eureka so don't worry about it running out of fuel, it's a fission generator. The windows are made of steel, yes the very same steel you engineered, I had it retrofitted and blast shields put in for storms. They will also tint and have blinds that respond to commands. The garage has all you need for repairs. I also stocked the fridge, I had a feeling you would forget. Don't worry there's a lot of coffee too._

_Glad to have you and I hope to see you tomorrow._

_Henry_

A smile curled Nathan's lips as he read the note, as always the older man was looking out for him. Henry had been there when no one else had and during his MIT days the man was the only one who understood what was going through Nathan's head. He placed the note on the bar once again and decided to continue exploring.

Oddly as he walked through the house he could see bits of Henry, there were a few drawings hanging, inventions that he found inspiring, books on physics and even a few shots of his home town. Nathan smiled as he paced the familiar sight of Main Street in Eureka. There were even a few inventions laying around.

Fingers trailed over the smooth surfaces of the end tables as Nathan walked toward the bedroom. "Whoa," he whispered as he stared at the massive bed, it was resting on a platform and was one of the largest full sized beds he had ever seen. It was surrounded by sheer linen curtains that could be drawn, suspended from a dark wooden frame. The sheets were a lush white, while the walls were a golden yellow. He slowly walked over to the curtains and ran his fingers over the black chords holding them in place, they were soft ropes and he began to appreciate Henry's taste even more. He had always thought of the man as simply a "Mechanic," yet this house said otherwise.

There was a cry of gulls which shook him from his musings, he walked around the bed that had taken up the center of the room and noticed that there was a pair of double glass doors. The sun was setting over the ocean and he watched the once blue waters spark orange and gold, "Beautiful," he whispered in shock, he had seen photos but there was nothing quite like seeing it in real life.

As he watched the sun his mind wandered back to Jack, "I wonder how he made out," he mused as he watched the sun. He had a feeling he wouldn't see Jack again, it was a rather large city after all. He leaned against the glass wall and watched the sunset, knowing a new day was sure to follow.


	4. Chapter 3

Three: Equations

The car handled with a certain kind of grace that was to be expected of a BMW, the surge of the engine, the smooth shifting and the superior breaking was something Nathan was well accustomed to. He rammed through the gears as he sped through the back roads, it wasn't because he was late, it was more of him being himself. He loved the feeling of driving for real, to let the car loose and see what she could do. It wasn't fair in his opinion to keep so much potential and power locked up bridled by speed limits. He downshifted as he swung through a corner with ease, hugging it as he carved his path.

Before he even realized it he was pulling into the parking lot of UCLA, much to his displeasure. Kevin had called him earlier and stated that he had gotten his rental car so there was no reason for him to pick him up. Nathan slipped out of his Beemer with grace, grabbing his computer bag as he did so and locking the car. The weight of the bag on his shoulder felt as though he were going to be pulled through the pavement on one side. He missed using his tablet, which he couldn't take out of Eureka considering it was light-years beyond the average laptop, most of them had finally acquired the ability to read DVDs let alone run simulations at lightning fast speeds and work on the holographic level. The tablet was lighter as well, and didn't bump into him when he climbed the stairs.

A smile curled Nathan's lips as he began walking past students lounging on the lawns, basking in the sun that had been hidden for all too long. Students passed him and he hummed as he continued toward the science building. While UCLA didn't have the killer programs MIT had, they still had excellent lab space. It had to be something for them to get Henry on board. His footsteps echoed as his dress shoes hit the pavement, several girls backed away from him and he sighed. There were some things that would never change. He took a sharp turn and found himself standing before the science building. In a flash his swipe card was in his hand and he entered without a second thought.

Standing ready to greet him was the familiar face of Henry, his lips were spread apart and he smiled warmly. His dark skin had acquired a glow and his eyes were filled with joy over the fact Nathan had arrived. "Nathan," Henry greeted with glee as he gave the tall brunette a hug. Nathan was several inches taller than Nathan but never felt as though he were looking down on the man. On the contrary, he always found himself looking up to him. His impossibly high standers, his work ethic and craving for knowledge, all were something that he admired.

Henry placed a hand on Nathan's arm and began to guide him through the building, which had clearly been retrofitted with what was the best available to them on the market. "Henry," said Nathan was a grin, he was excited, from what he had read on the plane they were going to be working on. While in many ways it wasn't much better than a theory Nathan felt that Henry's research could make some serious dents in the world of physics. The only thing he didn't understand was just how they were going to make such discoveries without the high end technology that could be in their hands at either MIT or Eureka, even Area 51 had better toys than UCLA, and that was a fact.

Nathan peaked into each of the labs as he walked by and shook his head, "Henry, why aren't you at CalTech? That would be a far better fit," he remarked. Cal Tech was an excellent university, it wasn't MIT but close. Henry chuckled as he shook his head, "Remember Brice Windsleck? Well his son is attending and failing Calculus, and since I owe him and they have room here I decided to help him out," replied Henry with a shrug, "Besides I get the best pick of the rooms, so I chose the basement." Nathan hummed he could remember Brice and his son, Neil. Neil was what many in Eureka considered a norm- a normal person without a genius IQ- it wasn't uncommon for there to be a few in the interesting little town, but it did make things a challenge.

They walked over to an elevator and Nathan commented, "I don't see how this could be attractive," in fact he was beginning to wonder if Henry had simply been teasing him about his project. Henry laughed warmly, the sound echoed off the walls of the elevator

it was a wonderful sound. Henry's life had been full of tragedy and struggle, for every leap in technology he had made he had three tragedies in his life that ruined it. Even now Nathan had reminded himself that the world wasn't all that it seemed, after all Henry had chosen UCLA for a reason, he just hoped that this wasn't going to be a total disaster.

Henry slipped out his wallet and pulled out a keycard, it was jet black with a golden logo on it, only confusing Nathan further. UCLA's colors were yellow and blue, gold and black certainly weren't their colors and there was really only one place he had ever seen that combination in academia, GD and its famous globe logo. A smile curled the Engineer's lips as he flipped the card in his fingers, "I made a few phone calls and since Clark owed me for fixing a number of blunders I managed to get my hands on the latest equipment," Henry reasoned.

Dark brows lifted as Nathan eyed Henry wearily, Clark was the current Head of Global Dynamics, the man hated loaning equipment out almost as much as he hated the concept of having debts. It was extremely unusual for him to loan out equipment as a way to resolve a debt. It had taken Nathan a great deal of work when he was still in Eureka to get his hands on a few projects for his own research, in fact it was because of his constant request to borrow projects and resources that GD had crafted a special policy for students of Tesla High. If a student requested permission and proposed not only an effective use of the requested items but also beneficial, the materials were to be given to the student, under the proviso that it be returned in it's entirety.

The black swipe card slipped through the reader in the lift with ease and Nathan felt all the air rush out of his lungs as his eyes widened. The doors of the lift had moved out of the way and his green eyes settled on the largest array of equipment he had seen in a very long time. Only the best monitoring tools, raw materials, and the like had been put in place. Even Eurekan computers were implemented, complete with voice recognition software and basic touch screen capabilities. At some point Nathan's jaw had popped open, "I knew there was a reason I liked you Henry, and now I remember why," he said aloud as he looked around happily.

A chuckle rung in Nathan's ears as he jumped from table to table examining each of them with enthusiasm as he took in the latest of GD technology. "You haven't shown Kevin yet, have you?" asked Nathan as he snapped out of his moment of weakness. His eyes darted over to Henry who was leaning against a metal work bench. Once again Henry looked much like the man Nathan had seen as a mentor, a knowing smile was on his lips as he slipped his hands into his pockets and grinned with glee. "No, I proposed a different project entirely to Kevin, nothing as complex and away from the toys, at first I was going to include him but as I read a few of his papers I began to wonder if the work was entirely his," he said after a moment.

Kevin had always struggled with papers and Nathan knew all too well what Henry was insinuating, the truth was whatever papers Henry was referring to, he had probably helped write. Green eyes fell on the lab bench as Nathan ran a hand through his dark brown hair, "Nathan, I'm not saying he isn't brilliant, but his papers tend to sound a lot like yours," Henry commented. There was silence between the pair as Nathan began to organize his thoughts in his head. "I know and it's because I did write a bulk of them," he replied, "I… Kevin needed to pass and didn't have time with the massive coarse load, and since I was finished I offered to help."

The engineer seemed to let it drop and decided to go through security protocols and such to ensure that they didn't lose anything. It took several hours to go through this before Henry gave Nathan a tour of the space. The only thing Nathan could think was just how much fun he was going to have in this lab. Immediately Nathan gravitated to the white boards and began looking at whatever progress Henry had made before he had arrived, the difference between the notes and the boards was slight, obviously the man had been holding back. "Here," said Henry warmly as he handed Nathan a Green marker, "I'm snagged but I'm sure you can figure it out."

The Physicist accepted the marker with a smile, the equations were complex but not impossible to comprehend, numbers always made sense to him, people though, well that was a different story. People had too many variables, too many unknowns and what they seemed to be often was a lie and the truth was hidden from view, only to appear when stressed. The cap of the dry erase maker chirped as it was removed, the body of the marker tucked between his fingers as he looked at a section that in his opinion was superfluous. "Meet anyone interesting?" asked Henry, distantly Nathan could hear the tap of a pair of coffee mugs and a glass press.

Long fingers picked up the black foam eraser and made quick work of whipping away and area before he wrote in a new line and jumped to the corresponding one. "I'm not sure," he replied as he adjusted he formula and placed the eraser back on the metal ledge. Henry snorted rather indigently, clearly he wasn't convinced, then again the man knew him even better than Kevin. "Nathan, how can you not be sure? What's she like?" asked Henry curiously.

Nathan sighed as he capped the marker, "He, and I don't know because I bumped into him at the airport and doubt I'll see him again," he stated as he tossed the marker in the air and caught it deftly. There was silence, he couldn't get Jack out of his head. Those sky blue eyes had haunted his dreams the night before, as had his warm smile and gentle voice. Mentally he kicked himself for not getting his number, it was LAX and even if he was still in LA it was a large city and he knew the probability of him running into Jack was slim to none.

At some point Henry was standing beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry I'll introduce you to some of my colleagues, we may not be the youngest guys around but we know how to have fun," he assured. As always Henry was trying to make Nathan feel as though he were being included, even if it was with his crowd. It wasn't that he was ungrateful, it was more the fact that for once Nathan wanted a friend who was around his age and wasn't after his mind. Kevin was a nice guy and a wonderful research partner, but from day one Kevin seemed more intrigued by his brilliance than his personality.

It was as though Henry and Nathan had returned to his early years at MIT as they settled into the familiar pace of work. Allowing all conversation about things outside of the project to fade.

~~CT~~

There are moments in life where we begin to question just what we have gotten ourselves into, for that Jack that moment had arrived as he stared blankly at a blackboard covered in numbers, letters, symbols and things he swore were glorified scribbles. He hated math with a passion but remembered being told that he had to have Calculus as well as Statistics, which he was cursing to no end. Nothing made sense, it didn't help that his roommate –Fargo- had kept him up. Apparently the kid was a genius and was working with the satellite center at UCLA with CalTech, something about AIs. To be honest he had zoned out after Fargo had leapt into the intricacies of programing and had to close his mouth to stop himself from drooling.

Not that it mattered at this moment as he looked at the blackboard, it was official he had no idea what was going on. Some of it looked vaguely familiar, then again he had barely passed pre-calculus in High School. A sigh fell from his lips as he held his head in his hands, the professor continued his rant, to be honest Jack thought it would be easier to learn another language than this. He wasn't going to pass this class, he could tell and it wasn't like he could ask Fargo for help, after all the guy was honestly creeping him out and his obsession with Sarah Michele Geller was unhealthy. Everyone else seemed to comprehend what was going on, and once again Jack felt as though he were lost.

His mind began to wander, once again Nathan appeared in his head. He couldn't get the tall and attractive man out of it. As far as he knew there weren't celebrities with the name Nathan, then again he didn't know much about movies, he was more a baseball guy. Those green eyes were mystifying and the fact that he was tall with nearly black hair hadn't helped. He was attractive, but so was Allison. She was pretty yet he didn't feel the same thing around her as he had that brief meeting with Nathan.

Allison was intimidatingly smart, she didn't seem like the type of woman he would want to spend more time with. Sure she was beautiful, it was impossible to deny that her mocha colored skin wasn't appealing or her large brown eyes, or even her legs that seemed to go for miles. Yet, there was just something about Nathan, something that made the man far more attractive.

Jack was pulled out of his head when he noticed he was now sitting in an empty room. He had completely spaced, and now felt horrible about it. Even if he didn't understand what had been on the board that didn't mean he had a right to space. The professor was simply trying to teach and he had ignored the man. Jack always respected those who taught, they didn't have to but they often had more patience than most believed, after all they were introducing students to a new world. He gathered his notebook and text book, as well as the syllabus, thankfully he had some time, which meant coffee to get his brain started.

The campus was crowded and oddly he found himself missing the small town he had grown up in. Even if he had a feeling no one in Texas would miss him. His father was too busy being a major in the Army to the point that his old man had no interest in speaking to him. As time passed Jack had forgiven his old man, and turned to his mother. His mother was a wonderful woman, beautiful, sweet and the kind of woman that he learned quickly that was rare. She had passed away when he was fifteen leaving him to his father, and forcing him to go to Texas in the first place. He had been born in New York, but didn't remember much of it.

To this day he wasn't sure where home was. He never really felt attached to one place, or needed enough to stay. Living out of boxes was natural and he only made friends so he didn't look pathetic to others when he didn't go out. It was one of the reasons he found a Marshal attractive, other than protecting those who needed to be, he had lived that way all his life and didn't see it as an issue.

"Jack!" called a familiar voice, a smile swept across his lips. He turned to see Allison walking toward him grinning broadly, her white coat billowing as she moved. At that second she looked every part the medical professional she had told him she was. "Hey Allison," he greeted causing her to brighten even more. "Thank god, you didn't call me Dr. Blake," she said with a hint of drama, "Honestly, these guys are formal, it's scary. Even my colleagues call me that, so stiff," she whined. Jack laughed, every doctor he knew wanted to have their title flaunted, they boasted about it and yet here she was, begging to be called Allison. It was refreshing in a way.

She slipped her hands in her pockets and began to walk beside him, "So, how was your first class?" she asked curiously as she looked at the books in his hands. Jack groaned, he had a feeling she would ask but was hoping she wouldn't, she was far too beautiful to be seen with someone her colleagues would label and idiot, which he felt like after that lecture. "Not so good huh?" she said sympathetically as she touched his arm. Jack shook his head as he tuned down the hallway and went straight for the student café. "Hang in there, Calculus is tough, I'm sure if you speak with student services they can set you up with a tutor," she advised.

Jack hummed, he hadn't thought of Student Services, he had only thought of asking his room mate. "I'll check it out," he replied as he opened the door for her. Allison grinned and chuckled, "Here they say chivalry is dead," she commented, "thank you." He watched her walk past before entering himself. The place was crammed to full capacity as students shouted over one another, Jack looked at the order board and felt worse than before. Coffee was simple, or at least it was supposed to be, this well it looked more like rocket science. "Whoa," he muttered as he looked at it. Allison was quick to rattle off her order, only for the barista to look to him, "And you?" asked the young man impatiently. Jack said quickly, "Just black coffee," the barista look less than impressed and took off. Even coffee was complicated, he didn't like the thought.

"Is everything complicated here?" he asked curiously as he followed Allison to the end of the counter. She shrugged and replied, "Not really, you'll get used to it," she stated as she pulled out a card, "I'll cover his too." Jack was about to protest when she shook her head, "You've had a rough class it's the least I can do, besides you just owe me later," she stated as she collected her cup.

He hated the idea but had a feeling it was her way of ensuring they saw one another again. Not that he minded really, she was nice and didn't seem to judge him too harshly. Allison lead the way out of the café, her heels clicking as she did so. Jack watched in awe as she moved, she looked like she owned the campus and students seemed to know to respect her. "How's your roommate?" she asked curiously. Jack scratched the back of his head as he looked for the right words, "He was wearing a cape when we met and raving about some Orc king," he replied.

Allison burst into laughter, the sound was light, warm and made him tingle, he loved it. "You're stuck with a D&D player! You're in for a treat when the all decide to meet you in your room," she said through her giggles. Jack paled, "THERE'S MORE OF THEM?" he shouted in terror, he thought Fargo had a concussion or something only to learn there were more. Allison nodded as she attempted to stop laughing, "Yup, a ton of them from CalTech, I guess he's here to work on the satellite program, why scared of a few Nerds?" she asked mockingly

Jack looked up at the sky, "No, just worried it's contagious," he replied, "He was wearing a cape!" Allison shook her head, clearly enjoying this more than he was, "Well good luck, I have to go and lecture. Don't worry I'm sure you'll survive," she stated. Jack watched her walk away and shook his head, "Doubt it."

Student Services, while Jack wasn't a fan of admitting he needed help, he knew if he didn't do this now he would be beyond lost. He looked across the lawn, of course she had lead him to the building. "Tomorrow," he stated before walking away, he wanted to see if he could manage on his own first.

~~CT~~

Drums, gongs, violins, cellos, violas and bass, all echoed through the lab. The orchestra thundered as the music seemed to surge forward, calling for attention and setting the pace for creation. It had been three weeks since Nathan had arrived, and in all honesty his routine was getting up, going to the college, researching, coffee, more research, more coffee, more research and then home. Somewhere in there he ate and slept, but he didn't keep track really. He did meet with the kid that needed a tutor but their sessions were really only 45 minutes long, so he took them while he was supposed to be out to lunch. He had hardly seen Kevin since he arrived, he was far too wrapped up in this new world. Henry had been lecturing and he didn't have to start tutoring for another week. This meant the lab was his.

As the violin's soared as did his imagination, numbers were falling into place as he worked on making even a dent in the project, they had to have something to show for it all. The room went silent and Nathan looked up to see a very irate Henry standing in the doorway with a CD in hand. "You have to get out of here Nate, the world is larger than the Lab!" he raved as he gestured to the space. Nathan sat up straight as he blinked, Henry was known for long hours in the lab, and yet here he was telling him to get out.

Henry sighed as he crossed his arms, "Nate, I know you want to prove yourself but you need a break as well, it's Saturday. GO HOME, REST. You're useless to me burnt out," he stated. Nathan huffed in frustration, he was going to make a break through, "Look just go out for an hour or two, who knows you may enjoy it. Go to the beach the sun is up and the water is cool," he commented. Nathan glared, Henry knew he hated the beach, "I'll drag you," he threatened. Nathan growled as he got off the stool, he didn't want to be dragged out like a child, "Fine," he hissed as he grabbed a notebook and began to walk out, only for Henry to step in the way.

Nathan stared down at the man who was holding his hand out expectantly and glaring, "Hand it over, Nate," he commanded. He was even more confused until he noticed Henry was looking at his notebook, "What? No, Henry I'm close," he practically whined. Henry's expression was stern as he continued to wait for the spiral notebook to be placed in his palm. Nathan knew the man wasn't going to budge and grumbled as he handed him the notebook. "Fine, satisfied?" he asked sulkily. Henry laughed and nodded, "Just take a break, you can have it back later."

It was strange, he didn't like the fact Henry was kicking him out, the man was a workaholic. Then again there was that time he had passed out from overworking himself at MIT. Nathan walked out of the building and began to wonder what to do, he didn't have hobbies. Science was his life. Henry had suggested the beach and despite his feelings about sand and men attempting to attract women he decided to give it a shot. Besides it wasn't for long. He was quick to get to the parking lot and slipped into his Beemer, the closest beach wasn't too far.

He loved the ocean outside of the house he was staying in, but hadn't ventured out to the beach. He drove slowly as he pulled into the parking lot, he didn't even remember the drive. Henry was his mentor and he had respected him but at that moment he felt as though he had been betrayed, he wouldn't have done such a thing to Henry. The sound of the waves echoed in the air as well as laughter and he groaned, he was in slacks and a dress shirt, as well as a pair of very professional oxfords. "Looks like I have to take these off," he mumbled as he got out of the car and toed off his shoes, he didn't like the idea of getting sand in them. Once they were off he took off his socks and placed both items on the back seat.

The car beeped as he locked it and began to walk on the beach, he was surrounded by students, he had seen a number of them around when he had first arrived at UCLA and hummed. They didn't even take notice of him as he walked by, it was then he realized that he probably wasn't the first professor to take a walk on the beach on break. The sand was soft under his feet and the long grasses billowed in the wind. The scent of the ocean was accented with beer and sunscreen, it almost tainted the scent to the point he didn't recognize it.

He was about to turn back when he noticed a young woman in a black bikini, she was hunched over a long yellow board with a bar of what looked like soap. She had short black hair and blue eyes, he watched her as she slipped the bar in her bag and stood up. It was then he noticed the shape of the board and the fins on it. Lazily she swept a hand through her hair and grinned before running toward the water with her board. He watched inquisitively as she began to paddle with the board under her. An elegant Japanese Maple was on her back, the leaves were a fiery red and the bark and deep brown. Her skin was kissed by the sun, she was darker than most of the people there. "What?" he asked as he walked closer toward the edge of the water. He watched her dive under a few waves as she went further out than the swimmers. He watched as a wave began to rise from the horizon, without hesitation the young woman was paddling, her movements were rapid, strong and confident.

Every cell in his body was tight and his heart ponded as he watched the wave grow in height. With skill she leapt up and took a drop. There was a shout from several people and he noticed a group had accrued of their own accord to watch. He watched as she sliced through the wave with skill, her stance was wide as she riffed off the top, her arms out and shifting her weight to keep the board under her. The wave opened up beautifully, a beautiful barrel and he watched with excitement as she entered it. He could only imagine what it felt like to slip through the tunnel of water, a curtain of water falling around you and slicing through the power of Mother Nature. The rush must have been something else.

She raced out from the waves embrace and he heard shouts, just watching mad him excited and for a second he wondered what it felt like to take the drop. He watched the waves and other surfers get in only to find himself doing calculations in his head as he looked at the boards. Their construction, length of fin, amount of wax and even the weight of the surfer were affecting how well they moved. He stood in awe as he did the calculations mentally.

Yet for all the math, he couldn't figure out one thing, what it felt like to be out there.

The young woman who had raced out was ashore, her hair slicked back and eyes glittering with joy. She walked by him and quickly stood her board up in the sand. Even out of the water she seemed to be different, her movements were smooth and graceful, something scientists lacked generally. He approached her slowly. "Look man if you're looking for a date go somewhere else," she snapped. Nathan was slightly confused until he realized people probably bugged her often about such a thing. She was beautiful but he wasn't interested in that. "No, I was wondering what it felt like," he said softly.

She scoffed at him and shook her head, "Okay commence with the crappy pick-up lines. Like what felt like?" she asked. Nathan slowly lowered down and sat on his haunches, "To surf like that," he replied. The young woman froze and looked over at him, her eyes went wide, they were the same blue as the ocean, yet he didn't find them as attractive as Jack's sky blues. She slowly slipped a tunic over her head and replied, "Like nothing else, you have this kind of connection with the ocean that makes the world seem to fade," her voice was soft and she spoke with a hint of awe.

Obviously few asked her, "Why would you want to know?" she asked slowly, "You don't look like the type who surfs." Nathan nodded, he knew he didn't, he didn't even look like he belonged at the beach being dressed in slacks and a dress shirt. He knew he looked out of place, he didn't have to be told. "I'm not, but I want to know what it feels like," he said again. She sighed and shook her head, "Look man, the best way for you to know is to surf it," she replied.

The young woman got up and was about to walk off when Nathan asked, "Would you be willing to teach me? I will compensate you," as he ran after her, she had her board under her arm and was walking back to her car. The word compensate made her pause and she looked at him, "You want me to teach you how to surf?" she asked in confusion. Nathan nodded and replied, "Yes, you were the best, not only did you have a perfect ride but your balance and ability to maneuver on the wave was unparalleled. Obviously you know a great deal about dynamics since your board's fins are the best for the current," he replied. The young woman looked at him in confusion.

"What? Are you a scientist or something?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips and looked him over. Nathan nodded and replied, "Physicist technically." The young woman sighed and shook her head, "Al what are you doing?" she seemed to ask herself before responding, "Okay, but first you need gear so meet me at the Shack tomorrow and we'll get you the basics, he'll match you up with a board," she instructed, "How about 10 in the morning? The swell peaks at 2 in the afternoon here, and I want to teach you in a less intense spot."

Nathan smiled as he replied, "Of course, I'll see you at 10, how much?" he asked. The young woman was confused for a moment until she realized what he wanted to know, "$50?" she asked. Nathan looked at her in confusion, from what he had heard in Manhattan surf lessons ran around $150 to $160, "How about $150, that's about the price of several surf schools in Long Island," he replied. Her jaw dropped in shock, "Whoa, that's a lot of cash, I don't want to wipe you out," she said quickly as she held up her hands.

He chuckled and shook his head, "See that black Beemer?" he asked as he pointed to the car, "That's my car, I have several patents and attend UCLA for fun, believe me I don't need the money," he stated. She slowly seemed to get her head back and nodded, "I'm Alex King," she said as she held out her hand, "But you can call me Al." Nathan accepted her small strong hand and replied, "Nathan Stark, feel free to call me Nate." She nodded before releasing his hand and lifting her board to put it on top of her car.

He watched as she strapped it on and then got in the driver's seat, "Oh Nate? Please don't be late, I have work at 3 that afternoon and I want to hit the waves before then," she stated. Nathan nodded and watched as she pulled away, Henry was going to pass out when he found out he wanted to surf to find out what it felt like.

Science was a funny think, it involved analytical theories, and the understanding that belief wasn't based on ethical notions but often quantitative and qualitative data as well as logic based upon results. Emotions weren't applied, for all the math he had just managed to do, none of it told him what it was like.

Nathan's mind wandered back to Jack as he got in his car. He hoped where ever the man was he was enjoying himself.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Into the Unknown**

Morning arrived far sooner than usual, Nathan found himself gazing out at the ocean as the sun hit the horizon, it's rays causing it to burn a bright hue of rose and orange. The water seemed to take on the same coloration as the tide gradually rolled in, as they seemed to roll in only then did he realize a new day had arrived and for some reason he began to wonder if this one was going to change his life. Alex was an unforeseen variable, one which oddly he didn't find irritating. Even if she had at first though he were attempting to flirt with her, he understood that one immediately, she was rather attractive. The way she had moved through the water made him realize life was more than experimentation, perhaps it was even larger than the narrow scope that had occupied his mind.

The windows were covered with equations written in wax pencil, the white stood out starkly against the bright sky, he had spent the night attempting to figure out what to look for in a board. He had determined basic formulas explaining just how a wave came to be, as well as fluid dynamics itself. He hummed as he looked at his work, he had started with the Euler equation but since the validity of the solution breaks down, but because fluids have viscosity it was almost idiotic to think about the ocean and not recognize the fact that sea water has a different resistance to flow than typically distilled water. This was where he had applied Stokes, with Stokes he could modify it to meet his needs.

He had spent hours cracking the physics of the ocean open, while it had guaranteed been done before, he couldn't resist. He understood numbers, they were quantitative and easy to recognize, all his life he had been looking at numbers, variables and the like. He sighed as he leaned on the window, the wax pencil abandoned some time ago on the floor beside his feet. Yet, he couldn't understand why, why he had taken such an interest in the sea. He never had one before, in his world it was just another place where people would meet. Somehow after watching King dominate the ocean, riding a wave and enjoying every second of it, he wanted to know all he could.

He had pulled up various charts on the typical swell seen on the LA coastline, as well as possible designs and realized he was very far out of his depth. He knew next to nothing about the sport itself, which bothered him. When it came to physics everything was instinctual and governed by the typical train of thought he had been developing since a child. Off in the distance he could hear his mobile ringing, it wasn't until that second he remembered taking off and not returning to the lab.

With ease he crossed the room and snatched the phone from the stone bar, he picked up the receiver and answered, "Hello." Immediately the voice of Henry crack through, "Good morning Nathan," he chirped. Henry wasn't the type to boast typically, however from what he could tell from the man's tone he was more than happy to have kicked him out of the lab all day. "So do you want your notebook back?" asked the scientist teasingly. Nathan sighed and looked at the windows, "Sure," he replied. He pinched the bridge of his nose and hummed, he would have to clean that. The equations spanned the entire back of the house since it was glass. "Wonderful, I'll swing by, I'm about twenty minutes away anyway. I wanted to talk to you about another potential student to tutor," Henry stated.

Another student, he was having enough issues with the one he had, and it was quite late in the semester to look for a tutor. At this point it was on the student as to if they were truly going to pass or fail. "What major?" he asked, praying it wasn't physics, there was no way he would be able to save a student from failure this late, well the average one that was. There were exceptions, few and far between, but he knew there had been in the past. He walked over to the coffee maker, dragging the chord with him as he did so, he honestly missed the cordless phones in Eureka.

He poured a cup with ease as Henry replied, "Criminal Justice, he's struggling with calculus." Nathan paused and looked at the black coffee in the white mug. Criminal Justice majors didn't usually take calculus unless they were looking at criminal profiling. He was slightly taken aback for a moment, the school to study for such a field was Madison University in Virginia, the FBI tended to recruited the finest Criminal Profilers from there. UCLA wasn't the top of the list for potential recruits. Nathan took a sip of coffee and replied, "Well then, I suppose I could be of assistance."

Henry chuckled and said, "We'll talk more soon, I have his file, apparently the paperwork was filled out by another faculty member and he leans about it today." That was even stranger, most faculty members left things of this nature up to the student, and didn't do such things without them. "Strange," he commented as he walked back with the mug in hand and held the receiver to his ear with his shoulder. "You're telling me, there's notes in the file, I'm going to let you go so I can continue driving, I had a phone built into my car," he remarked. Nathan snorted, of course Henry did, the ma may have hated destroying beautiful cars but it didn't stop him from making them better. "See you soon," Nathan replied before finally hanging up.

Another student to tutor, he wasn't a fan of teaching but from what he had been told he was decent at it, no where near as good as Henry but not intolerable. After the students from his section had taken their exam he had been emailed, called and even had hand written letters from every single one of them. All of them were happy to have had him as a professor and had aced the exam. He had thought of throwing out the letters but later decided against it, after all it was the first time he was treated with respect, rather than taken for granted.

Nathan perched on one of the black stools and ran a hand through his hair, he could feel the wicker back of the stool against his back, he hadn't bothered to put on a shirt after his shower. He was wearing only a pair of track pants. He wasn't the most muscular man, but he wasn't as weak as most thought. His feet were bare and he yawned, all the hours he had spent up the night before had caught up to him. He took another sip of the bitter black coffee in an attempt to force his brain to 'trouble shoot'. He listened intently and after a moment heard the sound of the front door opening, "Nathan?" called Henry. Nathan perked up a bit as the coffee finally kicked in.

"In here," he called in reply as he looked over toward the doorway. Henry walked in quickly and looked around, obviously he was searching for evidence that Nathan had truly begun living there. Nathan knew he wouldn't find what he hoped, all that was really there of Nathans' were a few books, notes, documents, his computer, and clothing. "I was hoping you would introduce new furniture, or something," he commented. Nathan shrugged as he took another sip, "I stand corrected," he stated as he placed a plastic bag on the stone bar and stood before the windows. "You've certainly been busy," he remarked

Nathan pushed himself away from the bar and took his place beside the engineer. "Fluid Dynamics?" asked Henry curiously, "Euler, viscosity, what are you?" he asked curiously only to stare past the numbers. Now it made sense, "The ocean, you're determining the physics behind waves. Why?" he asked as he looked at the work before him with the same intrigued and slightly awestruck gaze he often had when reviewing Nathan's work when he attended MIT. His brown eyes left the wall of equations and looked up at Nathan. The Physicist shrugged before responding, "I was curious. You stole my notebook." It was a lie, he wasn't about to tell Henry and yet as always the man saw through him.

"How was your trip to the beach?" he asked. Nathan paused, obviously Henry knew something, he was smirking it was that same knowing smirk that meant once again he had seen past Nathan. "Different," he replied curtly, Henry waved him forward and Nathan rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I didn't expect to see so many people enjoying it, or surfing really. New York didn't have waves like you have here," he said sheepishly. Henry blinked and in seconds had managed to put it all together, "You want to surf," he stated.

Nathan sighed, of course Henry wouldn't be thrilled, it wasn't the most reputable sport. In fact, it was considered the sport of wayward individuals who simply would rather have fun in comparison to their more sincere counter parts. "Nathan, I'm not upset, to be honest my only concern is you getting injured," he stated. This made the taller of the pair freeze and look at him in confusion." Look, there are a number of professors who surf, hell even I did when I was your age, then again I was attempting to impress a girl in Hawaii," he mused.

A chuckle escaped him as he shook his head, of course Henry would do such a thing, "You don't mind?" he asked. Henry hummed as he shook his head, his hair going everywhere as he did so. "Nate, my only concern is injury, after that nothing else matters. Who's teaching you?" he asked curiously. Like always the conversation was shifting with ease, a smile graced Nathan's lips as he walked over to the sofa and watched Henry sink into his. "Alex King," he replied. Henry stared at him in shock for a moment, his mouth popped open before he rubbed a hand over his face.

This made him even more confused, green eyes narrowed as he took in Henry's appearance. He watched every movement searching for information, anything that could give him just a hint as to why the name was causing him distress. "King, you met Dr. Alexandra King, I can't believe you came across her. She must have lost her typical spot," Henry mused he ran a hand through his hair and continued, "She is a molecular biologist, a very good one. Her father is Warren King, a brilliant Astrophysicist and a bit of a large child. I can't believe you met her."

Warren King was a brilliant scientist, one of the best and had become perhaps one of the greatest men in science. Alex didn't look anything like Warren, he had met the man once and could still remember his face, the only thing she may have inherited from him was her eyes. "Why?" asked Nathan after a moment, she was beautiful but didn't seem all too keen on hiding, especially with the tattoo and short hair. She looked content being herself, "Simple, she's the favorite child of the Headlands Institute, she's probably here doing lectures," he remarked.

Life had become more and more interesting, he didn't care that she was different from most but he was interested in the fact that she could surf. That and she was interested in him learning, "Well she agreed to teach me, and I'm going to pay for lessons, we're going to look at boards today," he commented as he leaned back on the sofa. Henry smiled a little more and chuckled, "Alright, I'll leave you in her hands. Now about the new student," he stated.

Nathan suppressed a groan that threatened to come out, he wasn't interested in another tutoring student, however, he also knew that Henry wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. There was a rustle and Nathan watched as a red folder was tossed onto the glass coffee table between them. It slid a little against the surface and stood out starkly against the neutral colors of the room. He slowly picked it up and felt the stiff paper between his fingers. "Now, before you go further please know he was reluctant but a friend of his from the Medicine program decided to lend a helping hand," stated Henry.

That statement in its self said a number of things, it told him that whoever this file was on, they wouldn't be very receptive of him. Typically when a student went to Student Services in search of a tutor they were rather happy to receive one and would to all they could to improve. Those with tutors appointed to them didn't enjoy it quite as much, in fact they generally loathed it and did poorly, despite the hours of study time. "I'm not interested," Nathan stated, "I had enough of that mentality in New York." He held the folder up before them and continued, "If this…" he paused and read the name, "Jack Carter, really wanted help he would have gone himself."

Jack, the physicist paused and looked at the name, the man from the airport was also named Jack, it was a common name so the likelihood of it being the same person was highly unlikely. "Nate, please, the campus asked me to take him on but I have research as well as six other students," he practically begged, immediately making Nathan reconsider. Henry wasn't the type to beg, no matter the circumstance. Nathan looked at the man, he was staying in Henry's beach house, working on projects and the ticket to him getting a PhD.

Chocolate brown eyes gazed at the folder hopefully and Nathan flipped it open. Immediately he could tell it wasn't filled out by Jack, the handwriting was far too loopy to be his. He read over the file, he was failing Calculus and from the looks of it had struggled in math for a while. Nathan flipped the sheet over and sighed, Jack had a D, he would have to work wonders for Jack to even get a B let alone an A. Jack Carter was a kid from Texas, a small town in the middle of nowhere that was shriveling up. His goal was to become a US Marshal, making him a Criminal Justice Major. "Alright, I'll take him on, I'll need a place to work with him though with boards and such. Something tells me it's the way he's looking at it that makes it confusing," he mused. Everyone looked at math differently, he knew from experience that how he saw equations was different from how Henry would.

The engineer grinned merrily, "Wonderful Nathan, I'll tell them he has a tutor. As for room use my office." His voice was bright and warm as he spoke, Henry always loved teaching, it was this passion that made him one of the best. Nathan smiled casually as he began to think about what he would need to do, the first thing he was going to do was give Jack a test to see where he stood. He needed to know where work had to be done and wasn't one to simply hammer away at problem where there were issues with the bases.

"When's your date?" asked Henry curiously. Nathan placed the folder on the table and responded, "10, in three and a half hours. I suppose I should get dressed. You wouldn't know where a place called The Shack is do you?" he asked as he got up and began to walk toward the bedroom. "Yeah actually, it's in LA, nice place not too far from the beach you were at yesterday, it's owned by a Hawaiian named Chris, you'll like it," he responded.

Several hangers were in the closet with a number of outfits, yet none of them seemed right, "Tees and jeans are always good Nate," stated the engineer. Nathan jumped a little and looked at Henry curiously. He plucked a soft black tee shirt and a pair of dark jeans, he didn't own many pairs of casual clothing. He slipped the shirt over his head, the cotton hugged his skin and clung to him as though it were a second skin. The doors of the balcony opened and he smelt the sea air sweep into the room. "I always loved this view," Henry remarked. Nathan nodded, it was a nice view, as he slipped into his jeans. The denim clung to every curve of his body.

Henry walked back over to Nathan and whistled, "Whoa, I didn't know you could look like that," he commented, better do something with that hair though," he remarked as he pointed to Nathan's head. Green eyes narrowed as he flicked a loose strand out of his face, "Why don't you get it cut, I know a guy in LA that does all the top styles for actors, I'm sure he could squeeze you in," Henry suggested. He knew it was long, in many ways he had never cared about his appearance, he was all about his intelligence and brilliance, compared to vanity. He would leave that to Kevin whom he swore spent hours primping before a mirror.

Kevin was one of those men who wouldn't leave his room with a single hair out of place. The unfortunate part was that women loved that aspect. Yet, here he was trying something new, "I think I'll hold off," he said slowly. One step at a time, walk before running, was all he could think. Henry chuckled and shook his head, "Okay, just tell me when you're interested," he said as he slapped Nathan on the back and walked away. "Oh and feel free to make the place more you, it needs a fresh look," he called over his shoulder as he left. As always Henry was asking him to go further than before.

Henry was one of the only people who constantly pushed him to go further, be it in science or apparently his life, Henry always wanted Nathan to reach out for more. "If only I wasn't such a coward," he whispered.

~~CT~~

Jack stared at Allison in shock, "YOU DID WHAT?" he shouted. Allison shrugged as she continued walking down the hallway and replied, "I may have filled out the paperwork for you, so you can get a tutor." Blue eyes were wide with shock as his mouth hung agape, "Hey it's my call as to whether or not I want a tutor," he spat. Allison's dark brown eyes fell on Jack, her gaze was heavy and sharp, causing him to pull back a little. At that second in time she looked as though she was going to bite him, not that she would, or at least he hoped she wouldn't.

The past month had taught him a lot about her, she wasn't the meek woman he though she was from the bus. She was tough as nails, driven and perhaps the most determined woman he had ever met. She drove him nuts, she was constantly telling him to study harder and take advantage of his options. Shane had been sympathetic but Allison was one of those people who didn't care how hard she had to push to get her way. In many ways he felt as though he were being dragged along for the ride.

She slipped her hands into her lab coat and reasoned, "You weren't going to so I did it for you, I was told you were going to have your assigned tutor. Dr. Deacon apparently tutors and you have been assigned to him." Jack groaned, everyone he had met was a doctor of something or other, and he was beginning to wonder if PhDs weren't as elusive as many would have him believe. "You didn't even ask," he stated pointedly. Allison shrugged as she took another corner, "Why? You wouldn't anyway, and even when I mentioned it you didn't. I saved you a step," she stated.

Jack bit his tongue to keep himself from spitting an insult. "Deacon, why's his name familiar?" he asked after a moment. He had heard the name a few times, he just couldn't seem to place it. "Dr. Henry Deacon, he's one of the best engineers of the age, honestly I'm sure even Einstein would pay respect to him. Anyway he used to work at MIT and now he's here to do some research," she replied broadly, making every word she said sound far more important than Jack thought it was. "MIT?" he asked. Allison whipped around and blanched, her eyes were wide as her lips moved but no words escaped, "Please tell me you didn't just ask that," she whispered in shock.

Jack smiled impishly and replied, "I didn't." She sighed and shook her head, an amused smile curled her lips as she said, "Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they are ranked number 3 in the world for programs and progressive designs," she explained. All that translated to in Jack's head was a super smart guy who was at UCLA for kicks. He slipped his hands into his jeans pockets and hummed. It didn't matter what he was going to say, as far as Allison could tell she was always in the right.

She grinned mischievously and asked, "How's it going with Fargo?" TO this Jack replied with a shutter, Fargo was perhaps one of the strangest people he had ever met, in fact he was sure that no one should be allowed to play the amount of D&D he did. "I still can't believe he's considered superior in his field and a grown man," Jack stated. Allison laughed warmly, she was about to walk by another annex when a rather tall African American slammed into her side.

She stumbled to the side only for a pair of large arms to wrap around her before she could hit the floor. Jack watched silently as the young man held her securely to his chest. He was tall and had nearly black skin, his eyes were just as dark. "Are you okay?" he asked, his deep voice seemed to rumble. Allison looked slightly startled as she opened her eyes, she had closed them in order to brace herself for impact. "Yeah," she replied hesitantly, she blinked slowly, regaining her bearings as she did so.

The man gently guided her up right and waited for her to get her feet under her. "Good, sorry about that, I probably should have been paying more attention to where I was going," he said smoothly. Large fingers lingered on her hand before finally releasing them, the lingering touch made Jack look away, he felt as though he had been caught watching something intimate. "It's alright, even I'm guilty of that," she replied with a chuckle. He was familiar, it was strange, Jack knew he had seen him somewhere before. He just couldn't place his face.

Jack was about to walk away when the man caught him, "Hey, boyfriend?" he asked. Jack stared at the man as though he were insane, for a moment he wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship with her. She was gorgeous, intelligent and kind, even if she tended to be overbearing. "Jack? No," she said abruptly, her tone was harsh and made him flinch. Oddly he felt as though she had stabbed him, while he wasn't he was hoping she didn't shoot him that harshly. "Oh, I'm Kevin, Kevin West," he said warmly as he held a hand out to Jack first.

Sky blue eyes fell on the extended appendage before he finally shook it, "Jack Carter," he replied with a smile. Kevin grinned and said, "Nice to meet you man." Jack smiled after that, Kevin was actually a nice guy, even if he was large and a little intimidating. Kevin looked down at Allison with a questioning gaze, causing her to blush and respond, "Dr. Allison Blake." Kevin's face lit up as he looked her over, "PhD?" he asked hesitantly. Jack snorted, he knew that the second he met her she wasn't, "No, MD. I'm working on my PhD," she supplied.

Kevin nodded and asked, "Well I'm going to lunch, mind showing a guy some local hide outs? I'm a New Yorker." Allison practically leapt at a chance and Jack decided at that moment to leave them, she looked really interested in the man and he wasn't about to be the third wheel. "Hey I have to go get ready for that session with um…" he stammered.

"Dr. Deacon," Allison supplied with ease.

Kevin's gaze snapped to Jack, "You're going to work with Henry?" he asked. Clearly he knew Deacon intimately since he was on a first name basis. Jack nodded dumbly, "What's your major?" asked Kevin keenly, his eyes were bright and filled with a certain curiosity Jack had only seen in his classmates when examining a crime scene. "Criminal Justice, I need a tutor for Calculus," he said slowly. Kevin oddly didn't seem perturbed in fact it was the opposite, "Cool! Detective work? Criminal Profiling?" he asked rapidly. Jack held up his hands and smiled a little nervously, he didn't think a guy like Kevin would be into that, "US Marshals, what about you?" he asked.

This response earned a slap on the back from Kevin, "Very cool! US Marshals are tough, and Henry's a great teacher. I'm actually one of his research assistants I'm working toward a PhD in Physics," Kevin said brightly. Jack stared blankly, there was no way someone like him would be interested in a Criminal Justice Major, yet he was. "Puzzles are fun, I'm not good with crimes though, only physics stuff," said Kevin glumly, for a second Jack thought he heard a child moping rather than a man working on a Doctorate. Oddly the feeling of having seen him before only increased but Jack mentally shook his head, he had probably seen him in the café or walking around, he was working there.

Jack chuckled and responded, "It's easy after a while, you just have to pay attention." Kevin nodded eagerly and Allison seemed to smile. "Jack, I'm sure you can spare an hour for lunch," she hinted. Obviously she really liked him, Kevin didn't seem that bad so Jack shrugged. "Sure, why not," he said, he still felt as though he were missing something important.

~~CT~~

The Shack turned out to be a rather large shop, with surfboards in nearly every size, shape and color available. Nathan's eyes widened no wonder why she had given herself so much time to get to work. This could possibly take more time to achieve than he perceived it to. To be honest he though surfboards were all heavily reliant on length. He had no idea there were different styles. Nathan slowly got out of his black Beemer, he couldn't help but feel nervous, this was the first time he was going to do anything of this nature. He had delivered speeches, taught classes, lectured on advanced theorems since he was 12, but nothing compared to this. He was about to start taking surf lessons, which were dangerous and someone with his IQ would consider idiotic, just to learn what it felt like.

A rather well beaten Jeep pulled up beside his car, there was a board on a rack in the back that he immediately recognized. Alex jumped out of the green jeep and smiled at him. She was wearing a pair of aviators and looked as though she had walked out of a catalogue in her tunic and jean shorts. "Morning," she called with a smile.

Nathan held up his hand and she looked him over, "Wow, why don't you dress like that more?" she asked as she stood before him. He tilted his head to the side and stared at her in confusion for a moment. "Like what?" he asked after a moment as he looked at his shirt, he didn't think it was that odd. "Like this. Your suits and stuff just don't fit right, why don't you see a tailor? And a hairstylist?" she asked curiously. The physicist was silent as he looked at her, Henry had suggested the same thing, she sighed and shook her head after a moment.

Her flip-flops slapped against her feet as she walked up the stairs, "Come on, Chris is waiting," she called over her shoulder. He quickly followed her though the doorway, immediately he was greeted by the sight of boards, shorts, waxes and even shirts. Logos from nearly every brand were present, his eyes roamed over the shop in a feeble attempted to understand all he was seeing.

Alex chuckled and tapped him on the shoulder, "Nate, meet Chris," she said brightly as she gestured to a rather tall Hawaiian he was about Nathan's height and had a pair of bright blue eyes. His skin was a little red in tan and he had black hair. Muscle covered his body and he was wearing a pair of swim trunks and a tee shirt. A smile curled his lips as he looked at Nathan, "Hi, I heard you're here for your first board," said Chris with ease.

Nathan nodded as the man slapped him on the shoulder, "Great, I've fitted a number of people with boards, how much do you know about a surfboard?" he asked. Green eyes glanced over to Alex who was smiling and shook her head, she hadn't told him what he did for a living, which was nice. "Nothing," he replied with a grin, he knew it wasn't fair but the truth was he would have to surf to understand the dynamics of a board.

Chris bobbed his head and hummed as he circled Nathan, "First thing's first, we need to decide on a style of board. I recommend a funboard or long board," he suggested. With ease he pointed out the two. The longboard was as the name implied, long with a rounded nose and rather wide body. The funboard was a little shorter and narrower in body, the nose was also rounded. "With both boards they make catching waves easier as well as making hem easier to paddle. I would personally go with the funboard it allows for you to maneuver a little easier through the waves and riff if you want," he explained.

Mentally Nathan was committing all this to memory, yet he felt as though something were missing. "Why's hers so different?" asked Nathan as he looked at Alex, he couldn't help it. Surfing is all about physics, yet his weight didn't seem to matter or the volume of the board. Alex smiled and looked at him, "Mine is called a Short Board, it's designed for performance and big air. My board is small and light making it maneuverable," she said with a shrug. Nathan hummed, he had a feeling that wasn't all and made a mental note to look at her board once again later. Hopefully with a little closer look he would be able to understand the sport a little better.

"Okay, you need a board with a little more volume since you're as heavy as me, or close to it," he stated as he pulled three funboards. Each of them were different in color and slightly in the shape of the nose. He hummed as he looked at each board wondering which one would work the best for someone of his stature and aptitude. His eyes fell on a golden brown board, it was old from the looks of it, it had been painted to look as though it were made of wood but wasn't. There was a red ribbon running around the edge and the word Kobe written in black across the middle. He slowly ran his fingers over the surface and noticed the wax coating was raised against his fingertips.

Chris hummed and said, "Meet Kobe, it was made by a friend of mine before I left the island years ago. It was the first of its type. I used to surf with it, but I opted for something a little lighter," Nathan looked over and noticed the look of sadness in the Hawaiian's eyes. He felt strange touching it, it was such a personal item for the man. "My friend died the same year I moved here, that was the last board he ever made," Chris whispered, his voice was filled with sadness and made Nathan's heart ache a little, "I inherited a bulk of his work and have kept a few for myself. Take this one, I'm sure she'll treat you well."

Green eyes swept over the board in question, before he finally nodded. All the while Alex had been gathering the essentials. She held everything to wax the board, from top coat to base coat and even wax remover in her hands. "Okay, let's get you set up," she said simply as she placed the things on the counter, "I'll show you how to wax the board tomorrow, it's already looking pretty good. We need to get you some trunks and other essentials, as well as sunscreen or you're going to burn like crazy."

He quickly followed her to the rack as she picked up several pairs of board shorts, they came in a number of colors and patterns. "I go for solids, typically because of competition regulations. I don't know what you're into," she said as she looked over the rack. Nathan shrugged a little and realized this was his chance to show just who he was. Today was all about showing who he wanted to be and not what everyone thought he was. Solids, flashed in his mind, they were safe, non-assuming and more his style. It wasn't because they were boring but it forced people to look past the individual and admire them for who they were.

He picked up a pair of black board shorts and said, "Solids," with a hint of confidence. Alex grinned as she pulled shorts in gray, blue, green and a pair in a beautiful bright blue, it was closer to the color of the ocean and made him smile. She also handed him several shirts made of strange fabric, he looked at her in confusion as he felt the fabric, it was synthetic and seemed to breathe. "Rash guards, so your chest doesn't get irritated by the surfboard wax," she replied as she held up the tight shirts. Nathan nodded, that made total sense, the board was rather rough to the touch so having something to protect his skin made perfect sense.

"Okay, we have one more thing to get, the leash," she said simply. He was confused for a moment as he walked with her toward the corner of the store, "These are surf leashes, they are made of urethane chord and attach to the board on a special hook, which I made sure your board has," she said simply.

She picked up a clean chord with a Velcro strap on the other end, "The leash allows you to keep track of your board," she explained as she handed it to him, "This is important for a number of reasons, I picked up a rather long standard one for you, since you're so tall." Nathan nodded as she placed it on the counter, Chris rung everything up and made a face in shock as he handed him a platinum card, obviously he wasn't accustomed to people with money shopping there. He hadn't even really paid attention to how much he was putting on it.

"Hey Chris can he use one of the changing rooms?" she asked. Chis nodded and pointed to a room on the left labeled, Dudes. Nathan chuckled as he walked in and quickly changed, he smiled caught his reflection in the mirror and paused, he looked different in them. It was more interesting, suddenly he looked more relaxed and looked at his hair, "I need to get this cut, perhaps I should see that tailor," he mused as he swept his hair back and left the room. Alex was smiling and standing in her bikini with her shades on and grinned, "Better, now all we need to do is get some muscle on you and a tan, after that you'll be the talk of the beach," she stated.

Her hips swung as she turned to leave, "Later, Chris! Thanks for the help man!" she called over her shoulder as she waved to him. "First we'll go over paddling out, how to choose a wave and then how to wipe out. After that we can get in the water," she summarized. He followed her out to the beach which was just across from the shop. He felt as though he were about to enter a new world, one in which once seen he couldn't return. He carried the board under his arm and quickly strode after her, with the bag of items he had just purchased in his free hand.

She lead him over to a patch of grass and quickly placed her board down and took a seat. She patted the patch of green beside her and said, "Sit, I need to attach your leash." Nathan obliged and watched as she took his board and laid it across her lap. The sound of plastic cracking filled the air as she expertly opened the package the leash came in. "Okay, how fit are you?" she asked curiously. Nathan could feel her eyes on him and he paused before responding, "I run in the morning usually and use the gym for two or three hours at night, resistance training," he said after a moment. Alex blinked as she reached over and grabbed his arm. Her fingers swept over the skin and he was shocked by how strong her fingers were.

A smile curled her lips in approval, "Shirt off, I need to know if you only work your arms pretty boy," she teased. Nathan huffed as he slipped the rash guard off and her mouth fell agape. He smiled smugly, "I thought you said you only did a few hours, well you aren't the strongest guy but you should be able to pop up effectively and paddle out," she said slowly. Nathan shook his head as a blush graced her cheeks and she went back to work attaching the leash on his board. He took that moment to slip the rash guard back on.

She finished attaching the cord and placed the board on the ground, "Okay, when you paddle out you have to stay toward the center of your board. Too far forward and you're going to curl, too far back and you'll never get to a wave," she explained. Alex scratched her head and hummed, "You probably understand that better than I do," she said after a moment, he laughed and nodded.

"I figured that the board had a center of gravity," he stated, "What else?" Alex smiled a little and looked slightly relieved, it was then he realized she was actually terrified of teaching him. Her shoulders relaxed a little as she replied, "When stroking, cup your hand to move through the water and avoid moving the rest of your body. Make long strokes, it may feel a little uncomfortable at first but once you acquire the muscle it will be as easy as breathing." He watched keenly as he delicate fingers curved slightly and she demonstrated the ideal position of the wrist and hand.

She looked at the board and said, "Okay, show me on the board, we'll go through popping up and then I'll get into the other stuff." He slowly got on top of the board and adjusted himself so he was at the board's point of gravity, it was strange to feel a harsh surface against his chest as he cupped his hand and demonstrated a stroke, "Good, but dig a little deeper, the ocean's strong so you have to remember that paddling out is one of the more exhausting aspects of the sport," she elaborated as she stood before him so he could see her.

She took a seat so she was sitting cross legged before him and pulled her shirt off. He watched her body flex as she did so, her curves moving delicately as the cotton shirt was thrown to the side. She sighed as she grabbed her rash guard and slipped it over her head, hers was short sleeved and at that second he realized just how strong she was. Her shirt was white with light blue logos on it, "Wiping out, this is important so pay attention. When you feel yourself loosing balance, with your last once of footing push away from the board. Angle yourself so you're falling toward the water on your ass. Have an arm extended to block the board in case it comes flying back and always watch your board," she stated harshly, her blue eyes were filled with sincerity as she went through this. Alex placed her hands in her lap and added, "Kick the board toward the coast, you won't loose it since it's on a leash, but watch it. Boards are sharp and can cause injury as well as ding another board," Nathan popped up and sat on his board.

He was silent as he listened to her, she was the professional after all, "Once you've hit the water, remain calm and don't panic. Allow yourself to sink and open your eyes. The closer you are to the floor the less likely you are to get caught in an undercurrent. Look up and see what's going on above your head, then swim up with your head protected. You don't know where the board is and you don't want to knock yourself out," she advised.

Surfing was like any sport, it had it's dangers and he was beginning to understand just how severe they were. Alex looked at him sternly and he realized she was looking for confirmation that he had listened, "So push the board away, toward the shore, but make sure you don't hit anyone else when doing so. Fall on your ass and remain calm once you hit the water. When under allow yourself to sink, open your eyes and observe the tide above before swimming up with an arm over your head to protect it," he reiterated. She smiled brightly and said, "Yup."

She jumped to her feet and dashed to her jeep to grab her board, he watched as she came back and said, "Now then, let's get out there, learning which waves to catch is easier when you can see them."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Fate or Karma**

The smell of salt hung in the air and the roar of the water seemed to drown out everything excluding the drumming of Nathan's heart in his chest. The water rolled over his skin and Nathan drew a deep breathe, Alex made this look easy. Scientifically he knew that water was very resistant, in fact one of it's many properties was the fact that it was impossible to compress water, there were simply too many molecules, but this didn't make surfing any easier. The board was hard under his chest and the warm sun caressed his back.

Another wave slammed into him causing the board to rear up and Nathan to grip the sides for dear life. "Here," called Alex, "Grab the sides of the board, then push your weight forward to dive under the wave, it's called a duck dive. Basically you're riding the underside of it," she explained before vanishing herself. Nathan drew a deep breath before doing as she instructed. He looked up to see a tube of water rushing over him as he slipped under it. Oddly it was just as she had said, the was calm below the surface and in many ways, rather beautiful. He popped up on the other side of the wave and drew a deep breath, his green eyes swept over the horizon to see Alex sitting up on her board, a smile had formed on her lips and she called, "Come on scientist!"

Nathan's fingers slipped into the water as he began to paddle toward her, oddly he didn't feel tired, instead he was rather excited. He was finally going to learn how to ride the waves like she did. He could taste the salty water on his lips and yet smiled, even if the taste was harsh on his palate he still enjoyed it. With ease he straddled the board and looked at the young woman who's hands were resting on it. She may have been small, but she certainly had muscle.

"Okay, selecting a wave is all about knowing what to look for," she stated as she looked at the horizon and her blue eyes were narrowed. "The first thing you want to do is position yourself where the wave peaks, that the place the wave initially breaks through," she directed. She pointed at a portion of shifting water and Nathan watched a wave beginning to take shape, "The reason you aim for those is because they will give you the longest ride. You don't want a broken wave, those are typically closer to the beach so make sure you're far enough out," she explained.

The sport was all about physics, now if only he could understand the lingo, "Broken?" he asked dumbly. He disliked the fact that when it came to language he had no clue what she was talking about and had to revert to asking her questions. Alex smiled and replied, "Waves that we end up sitting too far back on and break over our heads, you can't ride them but they hurt like hell." Immediately Henry's words of caution flickered in his head, surfing was dangerous and he knew if he didn't pay attention he was going to pay for it. "Avoid drifting around the break, you want to be right on top of it in order to score a ride," she added hastily, as though she were attempted to reiterate a lecture that she had written in shorthand.

Oddly the Physicist had an idea that she had taken the time to draft this monologue in order to insure that she covered all the details, not that he could blame her, it was a lot of important information. "Now, there are three types of swell: flat, pitching and half built. Each of them looks a little different and takes practice to identify. Flat waves look good but actually aren't, they don't gain any height and tend to break on the surfer's head, or they miss it entirely. Not to mention all the energy you waste," she explained as she ticked it off on her finger.

Nathan was quick to commit this to memory, it was similar to waves in his field, only these didn't break on your head or threaten to drown you. "Pitching swell, also not something to go for, you'll wipe out while you're trying to stand, this is caused by a too late take off, and having to paddle back," she explained as she wrinkled her nose at the wave. Obviously she had a little experience with these, not that he would ask.

She was quick to hold up her ring finger as she stated the third type, "Finally, the kind of wave you want, half-built. These babies are ideal, these are half built and allow for us to drop in easily on top of the fact of having a nice long ride," she said wistfully. Nathan stared, it was as though she were talking about an ideal game of baseball, and he had seen that look when Kevin talked about sports. Obviously he was about to experience it, "Unlike the others you have clean entry, and with you paddle you'll be able to build momentum and speed which can be used to set up the first ride," she explained with a goofy grin on her face.

She stared out at the horizon, it was only then Nathan took the moment to look at her. Her strong body was poised perfectly on the board; he could see a hint of the magnificent tree on the back of her neck from where a bright red leaf had slipped out from under it. Her dark skin stood out starkly from the white shirt and he watched a bead of water slip down her fingers. "Come on scientist, there's only one way to learn this stuff!" she stated quickly.

The brown haired physicist blinked as he took off after her. He followed her to a break zone and she smiled, "You first, when you go for the wave you've got to paddle, and paddle hard. Once the wave begins to crest, stand up and take the drop," she directed. She pointed at a potential wave and continued, "Use your center of gravity to stay on the board and shift your weight to move the board through the wave."

Nathan nodded as he began to paddle toward the wave. He felt a knot in his stomach forming as he began to paddle even harder, he felt his heart pounding in his ears and the board began to rise. "STAND UP!" shouted Alex as she gave him a thumbs up. Nathan attempted to leap up only to find himself losing balance, his eyes widened in shock as he felt himself tipping to the side, the water rushing toward him only for him to remember how to fall. He twisted around and landed on his backside, the water rushed around him as he slipped under the wave.

He fought his body's natural desire to panic as he sunk to the bottom. The water was cool and he found himself immersed in a world of blue. Green eyes looked up as he put his arm over his head and swam back toward the surface. His lungs hurt as he managed to break out of the water, immediately air was forced into them and Nathan panted as he looked around for his board. The water lapped around him and he could taste the salt water on his lips again as he swam, attempting to keep his head above water. His green eyes looked around eagerly for the board, and then he remembered the leash.

Mentally he thanked the inventor for having created such a devise as he tugged on it. The board came as he pulled it toward him and quickly swam toward it before getting on. His chest was heaving as he pulled himself out of the water. His hand rested over his heart when he heard, "You okay?" His head snapped up to see Alex next to him, worry was etched onto her face, an expression that was forging on a face that was always free. "Yeah, that just, wow. It was a rush," he breathed, laughing as he did so, it was comical how even wiping out was a rush.

Laughter as light as a bell filled the air and she shook her head, "Most people want to quit after their first wipe out and you, you are tell me you liked it," she teased, tears leaked from her eyes and she tossed her head back. "You certainly are going to enjoy it when you finally catch one."

Several hours passed, again, and again, and again… and again, Nathan wiped-out. Each time it was a different issue, the first was the fact that he had selected a bad wave, another was his stance was wrong, his balance was off, he wasn't paying attention, he lost his footing, the list seemed endless. All the while Alex corrected him, her tone was light but stern as she demonstrated movements or corrected his motions by guiding him through them. As they went the sun grew higher in the sky, the only indication that time was passing.

The water shifted beneath his board and Nathan looked out at the horizon. "How do you know?" he asked. Alex paused and looked over at him, her blue eyes were narrowed and her lips parted slightly, a look that she seemed to wear when she was genuinely confused. Green eyes met blues as he asked, "How do you know where the waves are?" Alex shifted a little before drawing a deep breath and holding her palms out so they were just above the water, they were flat and she closed her eyes. "It's like… there's this connection between you and the ocean. It's hard to describe, but it's as though you can feel the pull of the water," she explained her hands floating above the water as she moved them over the surface, never touching it, but so close Nathan thought she had. "It's primal, instinctual, and oddly second nature," she continued.

Envy filled Nathan as he watched her, his mind had been one to analyze data not to see the beauty in something as simple as a wave in the ocean. Yet, she claimed to be connected to it, even though it was completely irrational, to have a connection to the ocean; Nathan still wanted to experience the same thing. She looked at peace on the water, as though nothing could harm her, and yet, yet, he knew she was terrified at the same time. It was this perfect balance between fear and bravery that allowed her to take each and every drop. "Want to try one more time?" she asked out of the blue.

Nathan nodded and smiled as she pointed toward the horizon, "There, now paddle!" she commanded. The spot was far from where they were in the lineup and well outside of the breaking zone they had been in. He looked at her in confusion and she said, "Just go! Or you'll miss it! Don't THINK JUST DO!" Nathan nodded quickly before shifting on the board and began paddling. The wave was far on the outside, farther than he had expected and didn't match any of the charts he had examined before leaving.

His fingers slipped into the cool water as he pushed himself to paddle harder and faster, his arms burned from the abuse, he was nearing the end of his endurance, but he had to make it last. He had to catch this wave, he had to know what it felt like. Nathan became more determined as he dug even deeper, pushing himself harder than he had been the entire time. It was then he felt it. A shift. Without thinking he paddled harder as he positioned himself over the break, he could feel the board lifting and with ease jumped up.

A rush of adrenaline hit him, as he fell into the wave, his heart was pounding as he lunged on the board, commanding it to move to his will. The water was rushing around him as he road the wave. His fingers slipped into the rapid water as he shifted his weight. The board moved with grace as he raced through the water, in time with the rapidly curling wave, he wasn't riding it, he was part of it. Green eyes widened as he felt the board move, the sheer surging of the water around him made his heart pound, he could hear the crashing of water around him as he dug deeper, edging the board even faster. He was flying, surely this was what it felt like to fly. Nathan's heart pounded as he rode the wave out, it was then he heard a loud whoop.

He looked over to see Alex beaming with joy as she paddled over to him. Her legs were in the air and the black Velcro strap attaching the leash to her ankle stood out. She sat up and crossed her arms, Nathan sat ramrod straight wondering if he had somehow messed up despite how epic it had felt. "Nice ride," she said as she broke into a grin and held her hand up for a high-five. Nathan laughed warmly as he smiled in turn and returned it.

She slipped back down on the board before turning toward the shore, "Come on pretty boy, I've got to go to work," she stated. Nathan chuckled, he could only imagine Henry's face when he told the man he had surfed, given up control for once in his life and liked it. Henry would surely faint, for years Nathan knew he loved control and couldn't stand it when he didn't have control over an issue.

By the time he was back on shore his arms were burning and he lifted the board with a little difficulty, Alex looked over at him and smiled softly. "You're going to be sore. Take some ibuprofen and a hot shower to relax the muscles," she advised as she gently aided him in lifting the board and strapping it to a rack that Henry had somehow put on his rental. He made a mental note to thank him later. Nathan nodded as he reached into his car and pulled out his wallet. Nestled inside was her payment, and with ease he counted out the money, "As promised, $150 as promised," he stated and held out to her the pile of cash.

Ocean blue eyes widened as she looked at the wad of cash, "I thought you were joking," she whispered as she hesitantly accepted it. Nathan chuckled and shook his head, his hair fell in his eyes, he was going to have to cut it, perhaps a short style would be better since he was surfing. "No, I wasn't. Take it, you earned it. I would like to do this again though," he said as Alex accepted the money. He watched her fold it and slip it between her lips.

Nathan tipped his head to the side with curiosity as he watched her reach into her jeep and pull out her shorts. "Hm?" she asked as she slipped them on, jumping as she did so, since the denim kept clinging to her skin. A smile graced Nathan's lips as he watched her shimmy into them, he suppressed his snickering. "Another lesson," he said simply as she folded the cash up and slipped it into her pocket and slipped out of her rash guard. "Oh? We can do that if you want," she said absently. Her skin glistened in the light from the ocean water that had been caressing it all afternoon.

He cleared his throat as he slipped the rash guard over his head and put on his t-shirt from earlier, "How about this weekend? I have some time off," she suggested as she tugged her tunic in place, the light linen fabric clung to her damp skin slightly causing it to stick in places. "Sure, I would love to, Saturday?" he asked curiously. Alex hummed as she rummaged around for a book, it was a small brown leather book with the year on the cover, it was then he realized it was a planner. She looked it over and asked, "Saturday at 3?" She must have taken time to copy down the estimated tide charts, "Sounds good," he replied.

He pulled out a card from his jeans, Henry had always told him to keep his card handy, only to pause. His card stated he was a professor, so far she knew he was simply into physics, not that he taught. "How about I give you my number so you can call me?" he suggested as his fingers released the card. Alex nodded enthusiastically, today was going to be a very good day.

~~CT~~

Numbers, they supposedly made sense to people, they depicted quantities of items or ranges of others, they could even be used in sequence to identify the object, but for Jack they made no sense whatsoever. The semester was half passed and Jack hadn't managed to pass a single assignment, let alone the exams. The numbers on the page seemed to move only frustrating him more. Jack groaned as he leaned back in his seat and put his arms over his eyes. Even though, he was alone in a café off campus he felt as though the world was watching. He had never been stellar in math and didn't understand why he needed to take the class.

Jack heaved a sigh as his mind wandered to friendlier topics, Kevin and Allison. Allison was quite taken by the man she had run into, and he seemed nice enough. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling he had met him somewhere before it was odd. He was good with faces, and now that he had a name he would remember but there was just something about him that made Jack wonder if they had met once before. Lunch had been nice, Kevin tried his best to include Jack in the conversations, he even made sure they were easy to follow. Oddly Kevin was a fan of baseball, the San Francisco Giants as a matter of fact. They talked statistics for a while and joked about whose team was better, only for Allison to suggest they talk about movies.

Allison liked Kevin, well like was an understatement, Jack honestly thought that when she had fallen she had gone head over heels for him, rather than tripping over her heels. He chuckled as he looked at his watch, only to bolt from his chair, he was supposed to be meeting Dr. Deacon and he was going to be late. In a frenzy the young blonde gathered his belongings and ran out of the café. His feet carried him to his rather beaten up truck that had come in from Texas a few days ago, and jumped in the cab. With a roar his truck started and Jack pulled out of the parking spot.

Allison had told him earlier that morning to go to the science building that he would be meeting his new tutor there. It wasn't a shock really since the Science and Math departments shared the same building, it was just inconvenient since the student parking lot and that building was on opposite ends of the campus. He was quick to pull into a parking lot, meant for faculty only. At the moment he didn't care, he would pay for the ticket later. The spot beside him had been empty, or at least he thought it was until his car door made contact with a very nice black Beemer, with a brown surfboard on a rack on the back. "Aw crap!" he seethed as he got out to inspect the damage.

It wasn't his truck he was worried about, but the Beemer. Sky blue eyes widened with terror as he looked at the now massive dent in the side of the car, he had even managed to take some paint off. A groan fell from his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't just go, he was going to be late, but he just dented a professor's car. With a quick decision Jack had a piece of paper out and was scribbling a note, apologizing and promising to pay the repair bill, although he had no idea how. He couldn't even find a decent job, and his mother was going through a tough time, but that was beside the point. Jack quickly scratched down how he could be reached and slipped the note under a wiper blade before snatching his books and dashing away.

His heart was pounding as he sprinted across several courtyard, leaping over book bags, books, benches and even a bush. "I'm so screwed," he grumbled as he dodged an art students attempting to carry a rather cumbersome statue that looked as though it were made out of melted CDs, it sounded as though it were playing "Somewhere over the rainbow," rather morbidly. "WATCH IT!" shouted the young man as he staggered in an attempt to prevent the piece from smashing into the walkway. "SORRY!" Jack called over his shoulder.

Deacon was his only shot of passing, he needed the class and without it his GPA would take a hit. He had done well with the rest of his classes but this irritated him, he couldn't afford to fail, it would put him behind a year and damage his chances of becoming a US Marshal. Jack took the stairs two at a time before pulling the door of the Science building open. "Hey chief where you going in a rush?" asked a familiar voice. Jack whipped around to see Kevin smiling at him. He was about to tell him he was busy when he realized he had no idea where he was going.

Jack came to a stop and asked, "Where is room A16?" he was panting and it was then that Jack realized he really needed to do more cardio. Kevin looked at him curiously, "Basement huh? Henry probably wants to use the boards. I'll show you where it is," he said after a moment. Jack smiled and quickly began thanking the man, he didn't mention the incident with the car, he only hoped it wasn't Kevin's. The pair got into the elevator and Jack leaned against the wall, his books still under his arm. "Don't worry, Henry's a nice guy, he'll like how unconventional you are," Kevin said with a smile.

It was then Jack realized Kevin probably thought he was panicking about meeting Dr. Deacon, when the reality of it was he had just dented a very nice car and had no idea how to pay for the repair. Jack smiled nervously and nodded, "Yeah, thanks," he said simply. He wasn't ever going to tell Kevin about the car, not he just had to hope Deacon didn't drive a black Beemer or he was really screwed.

The lift came to a halt and the silver doors opened, "Okay I'll show you to your room and then I have to get Nate coffee, we all know he needs it. He gets grumpy without it," Kevin said with a chuckle. Nate, the name was familiar, it was the same kind of familiar that Kevin was, almost déjà vu really. Jack looked at Kevin curiously and the physicist chuckled, "Nate's my best friend, I'll introduce you once I get him caffeinated. He's… difficult… when he isn't," Kevin explained. There were a lot of people like that on the campus, he swore some of the students mainlined caffeine to stay awake. Jack liked a good cup of coffee, but didn't drink anywhere near as much as the people in the science department did.

Kevin stopped abruptly before a door labeled, A16. "Here we are," said Kevin warmly as he opened the door. He poked his head inside, "Huh? Henry's late, you can chill in here, I'm sure he'll be cool with that," Kevin said with a shrug as he turned the lights on. Jack stared at the wall of chalk boards, they were mounted on panels that looked as though they could move. "Wow," he commented as he looked at one of the boards, the math on it was enough to make him cross-eyed.

By that point Kevin was gone and Jack was left standing in an empty room. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" screamed someone. Jack jumped out of his skin he hadn't heard anyone shout like that, the man's voice was deep and commanding, it sent shivers down his spine. Jack looked over at the doorway to see a young man with rather long black hair enter, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. "Sorry I'm late, fucking unbelievable. Some asshole dented my Beemer and it was a rental," he seethed. Jack paled instantaneously, this was the worst possible satiation in his life.

The young man sighed as he put down the piece of paper on a table in the front of the room, "I'm Nathan Stark, I'm working toward a PhD, Henry asked me to tutor you," he said. His back was still turned to Jack, Nathan was rather broad in the shoulders and his arms were well muscled from someone Jack assumed stayed behind a desk half the time. His black hair had a wave to it, which told Jack that Nathan's hair was probably curly when cut short, his voice was deep and seemed to hang in the room with an air of authority. Nathan was a great deal taller than him, and oddly Jack's mind wandered back to the man from the airport. There was no way this man was the same one he had met.

Jack stood stock still as he watched the man who would be his teacher turn. Nathan turned with grace, once again Jack was met with a pair of brilliant blue-green eyes that had a piercing gaze, a Romanesque nose and chiseled jaw, his beard was neatly trimmed and oddly he didn't look like he belonged in jeans and a tee shirt. Nathan stared at him in confusion, "You, you're Jack?" he asked, it was the same man from the airport. Jack smiled a little and nodded, "So you're my tutor huh? Small world right?" he asked nervously. Nathan sighed as he leaned against the desk, a lazy smile curled his lips, "Yeah, small world," he said simply as he picked up the note.

Dread washed over Jack once again, Nathan hadn't read it. "I'm struggling with Calculus and I was just hoping maybe we could look at one chapter in particular before we really start?" Jack asked in vain, he had to keep Nathan from reading the note. He wanted to be out of the room when he did so. Nathan hummed as he unfolded the piece of paper, "I want to give you a test first to see where you are and then we can look at the course material," he replied as he read the note. Only for his jaw to lock and Nathan tensed up.

Jack looked at the exit, he could feel the anger radiating off the man in waves. Nathan's green eyes turned violent as he glared at Jack accusingly, "You. Dented. My. Beemer," he hissed through his teeth. Immediately the blonde began backing away, he didn't want to have something thrown at him like his father had when he was angry. "Sorry," Jack squeaked. Nathan crossed his arms, "That was a rental!" he roared.

Jack opened his mouth in an attempted to make an excuse when Kevin walked in, "COFFEE TIME!" he chirped only to freeze. He was currently on the receiving end of Nathan's death glare. Kevin blinked owlishly and looked at Jack and then to Nathan. Dark brown eyes were filled with confusion as Kevin looked between them, "Are you that bad at calculus?" asked Kevin, "You have to be for him to glare at you like that." Jack rubbed the back of his neck as Nathan held his hand out for one of the cups in Kevin's hands. Kevin gave a mock bow as he presented the cup to Nathan, "Yes, Master, right away Master," he said simply. Jack was too terrified of Nathan to smile.

Kevin looked between them and noticed how red-faced Nathan was, "Where's Henry?" he asked after a moment. Nathan growled something and Kevin smiled graciously, "Thanks man," he said as he waved. Jack watched Nathan go, he almost wanted to beg the man not to, almost. Kevin stopped short of the door and asked, "Seriously though, is he that bad?" Kevin asked as he jabbed his thumb at Jack. Immediately Jack growled, he hated it when people spoke about him as though he weren't in the room.

Nathan grumbled something else and Kevin asked, "Huh?" Nathan sighed with exasperation before shouting, "HE DENTED MY CAR!" Jack wince once again, he had to hand it to the man, he thought Allison was scary but he was pretty sure Nathan's temper had just taken the prize on the scariest thing he had ever witnessed. Kevin winced and gave Jack a sympathetic look, "I'm so sorry man," he said solemnly and with a great deal more understanding than he thought he would hear, "Hang in there. He gets better with coffee." At that Kevin left, leaving Jack and Nathan to their own devices.

A rather dark smile curled Nathan's lips as he pulled a packet out of his bag, "The only reason I went back to my car. I was going to have you do only some of it, but now I want you to do ALL OF IT," he stated sternly as he handed Jack a 50 page packet. Jack slowly took the massive packet and suppressed a sigh, karma was a bitch with teeth. The young blonde stood before Nathan who pointed at a desk and spat, "SIT!" Obediently Jack did as he was commanded and pulled out a pencil.

Silence filled the room as he set about the test Nathan had made. Jack looked down at the first problem expecting it to be difficult, only to learn something else, it was simple. Jack set to work answering the questions, as he progressed they seemed to get more difficult, yet there was a pattern to them. A smile curled his lips, he began to catch on to some of them, a few used similar ideas or principles which built off one another. It was strange in a way, many of the problems were hand written, Nathan's tight cursive covered the pages, it was neat and oddly tidy. Most people in Nathan's field had illegible handwriting and yet, Nathan had some of the easiest to read. Either that or he had taken his time to make them so.

Guilt washed over Jack, as he moved forward in the packet, it was then he realized Nathan had made up every problem on the page and taken the time to make up the booklet. The pencil scratched against the paper as he worked, Jack looked up to see Nathan looking over something in a notebook. He had a feeling it was the man's own work, he did state he was working toward a doctorate. Jack got back to work only to hand the packet in two pages later.

As he approached the desk he stared in awe at the equations which covered the pages of Nathan's notebook. It was far more complicated than even he had seen. Something told him in the back of his mind that even another person in Nathan's field would be amazed by them, on a far more academic level of course. "Finished?" Nathan asked as he glanced up from his pages. His green eyes had calmed a little and he seemed slightly subdued.

Jack nodded as he held out the packet. With ease the Physicist closed his notebook and took Jack's exam. "Okay, before I can really help you I want to look this over. Meet me here tomorrow, same time, and then we will discuss our plan and how you'll be paying the repair bill on my Beemer," he said with a smirk. Jack felt his stomach twist, of course he wasn't going to let it slide. Nathan pointed to the door and Jack didn't need anymore of a hint before hightailing it out of there.

He was rather crestfallen as he left the room, all he could wonder was if this was a sick twist of fate or karma.

~~CT~~

The rest of the day seemed to crawl by, in reality Nathan didn't need long to look at Jack's exam. He just needed space. He needed to breathe, he didn't understand why he had exploded at Jack, usually he was more controlled than that. The wonderful morning with Alex faded as Jack had come into the picture once again. The incident with his car was frustrating, but the reason why he had gotten so irate over it was a mystery even to him. He had enough money to fix it, he could buy it if he wanted to, but why he had lashed out didn't make sense.

All week he had been wondering what Jack was up to and somehow knowing that he had been so close the entire time irritated him. It was strange, though, it wasn't because Jack didn't know he was there, it was more that he didn't know. Nathan shook his head in an attempt to clear it before looking over the packet. He hummed as he leaned his chin on his knuckles, his elbow rested on the desk as he lazily reviewed the work.

Jack started strong, his work was clear, concise and showed understanding, he also seemed to pick up on the pattern that he had purposely laid in the test, however, about a third of the way in, numbers were suddenly written out of order and the answers were rubbish. There were several points where the numbers or operations were so out of order it made Nathan's head hurt. The math was simply bad math, yet it was consistent and systematic. He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, he had no idea how to teach someone who had gotten so lazy or careless. This was certainly going to be a challenge.

A knock on the doorframe of room A16, roused Nathan from his thoughts as he looked up to see Henry standing there. "There's something you need to see," he stated simply. Nathan shoved the test in his bag and grabbed his notebook, he could tell from Henry's tone alone that this time it was important, Jack's test could wait.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Frustration**

The room was still as a pair of minds seemed to mull over the data which they have just been given thanks to the great deal of strenuous testing they had been doing. Numbers ranging from basic single digits to some nineteen places long were present, all observations and pieces of the complex puzzle they were attempting to construct. Green eyes glanced over the data presented to them, Nathan heaved a sigh, it was a heart breaking sound as he pushed the pages away. "We have nothing," he proclaimed solemnly. His head hung as he slipped his hands over his neck and closed his eyes, attempting to see just where he had made an error that would somehow skew the data. Yet there was nothing, no evidence that they had made such an error.

Henry's head hung and the scientist dropped the pages to the desk, "Nathan, we have to have something," he said slowly. The physicist closed his eyes and attempted to exhale all of his frustration away, he was well aware that they had to produce something notable, and failure really wasn't an option. UCLA had taken them on the proviso that they manage to produce something more impressive than the Silicon Valley, something revolutionary that they wouldn't mind plastering their name on. "I'm sorry, Henry. The numbers aren't there," he replied slowly. Henry had been working to produce plasma, only it wasn't as simple as the man had first proposed, they couldn't generate enough power to cause a spark in the atmosphere of the room.

The elder of the pair hummed as his shoulders dropped, "I know, let's take a break, it's 3 am and you need to be fresh to look at Jack's exam," he said after a moment, he rubbed a hand tiredly over his eyes. It wasn't until Henry had mentioned something that he remembered Jack's test. As always tutoring was getting in the way of discovery. Tiredly he pushed away from the metal work bench, the legs of the chair screamed against the lanolin floor rather violently. Yet, oddly, he didn't care, he was too tired to care. All he wanted to do was sleep.

The young man grabbed his leather satchel and began walking out the door, "Good Night," he said slowly as he stifled a yawn. Henry eyed him for a moment and asked, "Want to sleep in my office? I have a couch. I really don't feel comfortable with you driving like that." Nathan looked at Henry in confusion; he had almost forgotten that the man was protective of him. Even when Nathan was a child Henry had been chasing after him, making sure he hadn't gotten his hands on something too dangerous, well at least without supervision. He had missed these moments where for once in his life he was treated his own age, where someone expressed interest in his own welfare.

Kevin had always wanted to make sure Nathan was happy, and did take his feelings into account frequently, but not always. Kevin had at first been obsessed with just what went on in Nathan's head, rather than what he felt. Even though the young man didn't display his emotions as readily as others, he did have them, they just too another shape. One that was far more ambiguous, that had in turn made him into somewhat a novelty. The more upset or angry he was the further he threw himself into his work, allowing his imagination to carry him off to the farthest reaches of the universe and challenge the laws that had been laid down by the gods. Kevin was obsessed with how Nathan's mind worked. He didn't know him as well as Henry did. A look of concern was in Henry's eyes as he approached Nathan, before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, I'll tell security that you'll sleep in my office for a few hours," Henry said smoothly as he began to guide the now droopy eyed Nathan toward his office. Even after so much time had passed Henry still looked after him, it was endearing actually. Not even Nathan's parents had looked after him; his mother was too busy trying to live up to his father's fathomless image, his father on the other hand was busy attempting to impress the world with his genius. He had been left to fend for himself, a sad truth of his life.

In Eureka his family was considered the highest in intelligence; he was teased all his childhood for being their child. His father was the head of Section 5, and to this day ached to know just what laid behind those doors, what had managed to hold his father's attention like it did.

Everyday he was bullied by other students who were jealous of him, he could remember being beaten up after school and pranked by other students. It hurt, all those moments where he was treated less than human. Each and everyday he would walk home sporting scrapes, bruises and more often than not a bloody nose or split lip. He could still taste the coppery, sticky liquid on his tongue, the cost of his brilliance. Those he thought were friends used him and threw him away, he learned quickly that everyone wanted something from him, and that no one wanted him for him. The children in town were thoroughly convinced that he was treated like a prince, the teachers praised him constantly, he was accelerated grades and even did projects from GD.

Little did they know, that at night he had been told how much of an obstacle he was by his father, the harsh words thrown at him like knives every night. Only did he know the truth, he was a mistake, an accident that should have never been allowed to live. They never wanted a child, and in many ways they weren't fit for one. His father would hit him every time he asked for something and had learned to take what he was given and craft something better out of it. Even if his father then deamed all his inventions a falure.

Not even receiving straight As in school, Honors, Presidential Mentions and a number of awards merited a smile from the man. He wasn't good enough, he never would be. Eventually he learned it was better to fill notebooks with equations and tinker in the garage away from his father, to allow his dreams to consume page after page, and his questions to ring in the universe, it was his way to escape, at all costs. He could still remember his father's disdain when his mother had filed for divorce, that night he didn't sleep. He couldn't get his father's voice out of his head. The next morning, his mother, Jenna, was gone. She had left without him, abandoning him for good.

Even after managing to graduate at the age of 13 he couldn't impress father, he was too busy chasing the dreams of a Nobel. The only person who seemed to care was the man who was currently gathering a blanket from a closet and a spare pillow.

"Typically I don't suggest sleeping on this thing, but it's better than you wrecking a car," Henry explained, his cheerful tone washed some of the pain away. The pair of dark eyes he had looked to when he was in pain, the hands which held him when he was in agony and patched him up. Henry's large and gentle hands that had supported him, as he battled to better himself and perhaps even appease his father. It had been Henry's tender hands who healed a child's wounds. They tenderly applied salves to bruises and ointments to burns, a tender touch that he cherished. Those calloused fingers that told Nathan he was always welcome and a warm smile that seemed to make all the sadness of his childhood vanish into a distant memory.

Yet, the man before him hadn't felt betrayed when Nathan left him for MIT. He could remember the expression on Henry's face when Nathan boarded the bus to go. He would never forget it, the sadness in Henry's eyes, which burned a hole in him. That day he truly thought he had shattered the man's heart. He didn't hear from Henry for several years, it wasn't until he was seventeen when he had received a phone call late one night from a hospital in Seattle. Apparently they had been given his contact information from GD, he could still remember the doctor's tone as they told him of his mother's death. She had a heart attack, and he could do nothing to aid her.

The next morning a bouquet of flowers delivered to him, after he had learned about his mother's death through a phone call. Black and white roses in a bouquet with a card written in Henry's hand offering his condolences and contacts, he had contemplated calling him again but never did. He still had the card in his flat in New York, it was one of the few things he held on, a reminder that someone loved him, even if it wasn't his family.

"Nate?" asked Henry, causing the dark haired scientist to blink out of his revive and looked at him. "Nate, are you okay?" asked Henry as he placed a hand on Nathan's forehead, "You don't feel warm," he commented. A smile curled Nathan's lips absently; the gentle touch was a reminder of the fact that for many years he had seen Henry as a surrogate father. "I'm just tired," he lied.

A warm and welcoming hand rested on Nathan's forearm, "Okay, why don't you lie down for a bit, I'll wake you in a few hours," Henry said smoothly. Green eyes fell on the cool green blanket and black pillow now on the plush couch, it didn't look as appealing as his bed back at the house, but it was better than the floor, and certainly safer than trying to drive. Without another word, Nathan toed off his shoes and slipped under the warm looking blanket, which he now realized, was a light quilt. He looked at the compass rose and smiled, he loved the dark green fabric that looked like it was actually the universe, only Henry would own something as bizarre as this.

Nathan slipped onto the sofa and snuggled into the quilt, burrowing into it's soft embrace as he did so. The call of sleep seemed to take over as he slipped away into darkness, praying that the monsters of his past would stay away long enough for him to sleep through the night.

~~CT~~

Light filtered through the thin navy blue curtains of the shared dorm room, there was a cool autumn breeze slipping through the currently cracked window, the rustle of leaves echoed through the still silent campus. The cool air made Jack's skin tingle and the young blonde burrowed further into his bed, not desiring to leave the warm embrace of the sheets quite yet. Blonde hair was ruffled in every direction from the restless sleep Jack had the night before. Oddly, despite the fact that he had managed to close his eyes, they still had tell tale bruses beneath them, a dead give away that his sleep had been fitful. The sheets themselves were twisted around his body and Jack groaned. His entire body was stiff and oddly still tired, Nathan had really upset him.

Hazy blue eyes opened hesitantly, the light from the window was far brighter than he had expected, making him grumble and close his eyes once again. He listened for a moment to Fargo breathing from across the room, his room mate was keeping him up as of late, something involving elves and dragons, not that Jack really cared. He just wished his roommate wouldn't don his costume while in the dorm, he felt as though he was permanently living with a trick-or-treater and that Halloween never seemed to end. There was also the fact that Fargo honestly looked terrible in green and who ever had designed the robe-thing, didn't have that in mind, or at least that was Jack's opinion on the topic.

Jack's mind wandered as he pathetically attempted to find the will to crawl out of bed and go for his run. Lupo had been nice to him and allowed for Jack to have Sundays off from their normal run. It was nice to sleep in, in theory, however Fargo always seemed to get in the way.

All he could remember was the once in a life time coincidence that the man he had met at the airport and found himself thinking about constantly was the one person who was supposed to save him from failure. Those green eyes were even more vivid the second time they had met, his skin was redder than Jack remembered, and he smelt of the ocean which really confused Jack. He wasn't opposed to the ocean but the first time he had met Nathan he had been caressed all over by the smell of sandalwood, musk, and fresh mountain waters. It was strange to meet the same man and smell the sun and sand on his skin. His black curly hair was pulled back in a strap and he looked strange in the jeans and tee-shirt.

Jack sat up and grumbled, he didn't know why his mind kept wandering to Nathan, but he wasn't complaining. Perhaps if he could figure out how Nathan's brain worked, he could pass at least one of his classes. He thought he was doing well in the others, but apparently he was struggling with those as well. Disdain rattled Jack's cage as he thought of the words his father would say to him, "Failure," he mumbled. His sister, Lexi, didn't disappoint their father as much as he had. Jack knew he was supposed to grow up to be a lawyer, not a Marshal. Lexi, well, she had made getting a degree in journalism easy and was currently running around the world covering dangerous regions, such as the Middle East and running headlong into warzones.

The young blonde stretched his arms over his head and popped his back, "I need to run," he said after a moment. Jack ran his fingers through his short and cropped blonde hair in an attempt to tame it, only for the breeze from the window to chill his chest. As always he slept in loungers without a shirt, he hated the extra fabric. It was restricting.

Bare feet hit the hard floors as Jack looked for a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts, they were easy to find in his dresser, the challenge was getting to it. Fargo wasn't the cleanest roommate, and obviously had ordered take-out long after he had gone to bed, it irritated Jack to no end, all of the empty boxes and Fargo's personal belongings strewn about. He opened one of the drawers of his dresser and located a pair of black running shorts and a light gray shirt. With ease he slipped into them and looked outside, he wanted a jacket, it was too cold to go without.

Jack's fingers nimbly slipped through the stack until he found a black training jacket, it was the same one he had used when he was a pitcher, tight around the waist but nice and loose around the shoulders and fitting down the arms, ideal for throwing. It was plush and thick between Jack's fingers and he slipped it over his shoulders. His socks and trainers were the easiest things to find. Once dressed he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him, keeping his wallet and keys on him, he had no desire to get locked out of his room after a run.

The dorm was quiet and he could tell everyone was enjoying the morning and using it to get just a few more hours of sleep. Jack hummed as he made his way downstairs to the entrance, passing a few guards who smiled and nodded at him as he went. They didn't seem to every have a complaint with him, then again, he was the quietest around. Jack slipped out of the warm lobby and into the cool autumn air. LA wasn't as scenic as parts of the North East but he could always tell when the season was changing.

His limbs were stiff, causing Jack to be a little more careful stretching, he didn't feel like pulling something. "Hey, there!" called a familiar voice. Jack looked up to see a grinning African American jogging over to him, Kevin. A smile curled his lips. He knew Kevin ran but didn't often run into him, "Hey, morning," said Jack warmly as he stretched his quads, holding his foot firmly behind him as he nodded to Kevin.

The young man stopped before him, he was a great deal taller than Jack, his skin had acquired a slight sheen of sweat, indicating that he had been running for a bit. "Cold isn't it? I thought LA was supposed to be warm. This is New England weather," he griped. Jack shrugged, "I wouldn't know, I'm from Texas." Kevin looked a little surprised and then grinned, "A Texan huh? I wouldn't have guessed. So this is normal for you?" he asked after a moment.

Jack snorted after dropping his foot and shook his head, "Yeah, and it snows in July." Kevin laughed loudly, the sound was robust and full, it certainly ran through the court yard unrestrained. "Want to join me? I only started a few meters back," asked Kevin after a moment, his breathing was evening out and Jack could tell the man was getting a little chilled. Not that he could be hypocritical, he was getting cold as well. "Sure, let's get going," Jack said with a grin, "But I set pace." Kevin tossed his head back and groaned, "Oh come on, like you can set a pace," he jabbed halfheartedly. Jack shook his head at the display and took off, causing Kevin to curse loudly and chase after him.

He could distantly hear Kevin panting and smiled as he caught up to him. "That… wasn't… fair," he panted as he attempted to keep Jack's pace. Jack shrugged, suddenly thankful for the morning runs he had done while he was still playing baseball. "Thought you said I couldn't set pace," Jack said with ease. Kevin rolled his eyes as he fell into step beside him. "I was kidding," he stated.

Jack hummed as he rounded another corner, the cool air nipped at his lungs as his body gradually grew warmer, he felt a lot better moving than he did sitting still. Kevin was quiet as they ran, which made Jack relax, it was strange, Kevin seemed to know what he needed before even he did. As he ran he felt the world slipping into the background, Kevin was perfect for Allison, he could see them staying together for a while. Kevin was warm, friendly, handsome and charming, honestly Jack wished he was like that as well. Nathan on the other hand, he different in demeanor, he was aloof, cool and collected, he didn't show much in emotion, aside from anger. His anger was rather vivid and now that he looked at the moment he began to realize that he may have been on the receiving end of several days' worth of pent up anger and frustration.

Yet, for the life of him he couldn't understand why. Nathan seemed to have it all, a nice car, he worked at UCLA, he was handsome and confident, at least he seemed that way to Jack. At least, that was what he thought after he had met the man again. Something was nagging at him telling him to look closer, to seek what was locked away from the world, that if he could somehow reach that he would meet the real Nathan Stark, and not the front he put up for the rest of the world.

~~CT~~

There were few games Nathan liked, one of them was chess, it had structure and rules. It involved the understanding of said rules and the ability to think within a specific series of parameters. Resting on the side of Henry's office was a metal set he remembered from his childhood, one side was glistening golden brass and the other was a cool silver aluminum that glistened in the light. It had been a long time since he had seen it, he hummed as he walked over to it and looked at each of the pieces, they were smaller than he remembered, then again he was five when Henry had taught him how to play. He picked up one of the aluminum knights; they had been his favorite as a child, simply because they moved in the shape of an "L".

It was as slick as he remembered and he slipped his fingers over the polished surface, his eyes glided over to the squares on the board, without a second thought he touched it. He could remember those afternoons, after Henry had patched him up, sitting by the window with the same set, playing. Nathan chuckled as he remembered how Henry would look upset when he lost, but the truth was he was proud Nathan had beaten him. His eyes glanced over the board when he whispered, "There are only a specific number of moves which can be made based on the number of players who are playing." Green eyes widened for a moment, the concept was simple, and yet there had to be a mathematical way to depict this.

If it was true that the number of moves was heavily dependant on the number of players in which were engaged, than there had to be a way to explain games as simple as tag but as complex as chess. An explanation into the world he observed everyday, that would also explain why certain strategies worked and others did not. Yet, chess responded to the decisions in which the opponent on the other side made a decision. Nathan paused and looked at the board, "What if they never deviated from their original strategy," he mused, "What if they don't have an incentive to change their strategy?" He looked at the board as he slipped a knight out of the rank, "What if each player has optimized it's outcomes based on the expectations of other players?" he asked slowly.

Nathan looked at the chess set, "Will the results be the same?" he asked as he slipped his hands into his pockets and allowed his mind to wander, it was an interesting theory, but the question was how could he prove it was more than musings. His eyes wandered over the board, "I wonder," he mumbled. Henry had instructed him to rest but he needed to breathe. After a moment he placed the knight back in the lineup and left the room.

His mind was a flurry of questions, all of it questioning the interactions of individuals and groups as they made decisions. There had to be some point in which they balance out one another, he just had to figure out how to depict this basic concept through mathematical and statistical means. It was a strange project, yet he couldn't help it his curiosity had been piqued and there was officially no turning back from it. It was clear to him that people make decisions based on what they see or what they think will occur in the close future but now he had to prove it.

Nathan allowed his feet to carry him at random, his mind was doing the traveling. As he walked through the hallway he noticed students chattering, professors staring at him, and several girls ogling at him. Yet, his mind was faraway, he continued on his well traced path as he bumped into Henry, causing him to blink. "Nate, what's up?" asked Henry warmly with a grin. Nathan looked around and realized he had made it to the lobby, which was truly unusual since he didn't remember hitting the button for the lift.

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and responded, "Nothing, I was going to head back to the house and grab a change of clothes," he confessed. Henry nodded and tapped him on the arm, "Good, see you around," as he slipped by. Nathan nodded numbly as he continued across campus. Patterns were easy, at least they were for him, obviously they weren't for Jack.

"Jack," he mumbled as he swept a hand tiredly over his face, he had yet to figure out what was wrong with Jack's math. Something was very off, in fact it made him feel a bit out of his depth as he examined the work. There was a pattern the question was, just what it was. He was concerned, as anyone who was suddenly given a student who wasn't stellar would be. So many errors had been made, it made him nauseous. As Nathan neared his car, he could see the dent as clear as day and chuckled as he remembered the terrified expression Jack made. It was easy to tease him. There was still a bright yellow surfboard on the back of it. It was then he realized he also had trunks and a guard in his car, the water was cooling but he knew it wasn't too cold just yet.

Nathan quickly jumped in the driver's seat, he needed to get away from the campus for a bit, naturally he wanted to jump to work, but the questions about Jack's math distracted him. He needed to sort his head out if he would be any use to Jack, Henry or even his own curiosity. The car started with a purr, it was comforting naturally and made Nathan smile as he began to drive toward the ocean. A little surfing sounded like an ideal get away. It had to be. He just had to remember to return to the campus in time to meet with Jack.

~~CT~~

The air smelt of sand and salt, something Jack hadn't been around since he was a child and his father decided to take them to the Gulf. He could hear the waves rushing towards the shore and crashing against it. The sound echoed as the gulls seemed to cry. "Fuck it's colder here than it was on campus," Jack protested. Kevin was laughing and had slowed his pace. The man was impressed, he hadn't expected Kevin to keep up, then again the scientist seemed to be in good shape. The sand was soft and Jack felt his feet sinking into it, despite his trainers.

He looked out at the ocean and smiled, "The view though, it's to die for," he mused aloud as he looked out at the rapidly curling waves, there wasn't a body in sight, nothing to skew the view of the powerful waters attacking the shore. Kevin was doubled over, his hands resting on his knees, he was panting slightly and replied, "Yeah, it's nice." Jack's eyebrows lifted as he looked at Kevin, "Hey man, you alright?" he asked.

Kevin held up a hand and replied, "Yeah, a little winded," he replied sheepishly. Apparently the man wasn't as in shape as Jack had believed. "Sorry, I kind of forgot you were with me for a bit," Jack said after a moment, he could feel the cold wind from the sea caress his face, and the warm sun gradually warming his skin. Kevin slowly uncurled, he was grinning like a loon, despite his labored breathing, each of his pearl white teeth shone the true amount of joy he was feeling as his eyes sparkled. "Don't sweat it, I need it," he said, "Why the ocean?"

Jack hummed as he look at Kevin and shrugged, "I don't know my feet carried me here, why didn't you say anything?" To this Kevin shrugged and hummed, making Jack laugh, at least he wasn't the only one who felt as though he were in the dark with his impromptu deviation from the plan. Kevin was about to comment when he stood rigidly and said, "HOLLY SHIT! Check that guy out!" and pointed out at the ocean.

In moments the young blonde had whipped around and was looking out at the ocean. Dropping into a very large wave as a young man dressed in black and white with a yellow board. He moved with grace as he glided with the wave, commanding the board with ease before riffing off the top and plunging back into her caress. Jack's mouth hung agape as he watched the agile surfer. "Whoa," he whispered in awe as he watched the surfer in question slip over the crest and paddle back to his original position, waiting for yet another wave.

"That was cool," he mused, it was then he remembered there being a yellow board on the back of the BMW- Nathan's BMW. He cringed as he remembered the impressive dent his truck had left. "Thinking about Nate's BMW?" asked Kevin. Jack jumped, he didn't think he was that obvious, then again Kevin seemed to be good at reading him. Of course he was thinking about how he was going to be able to cover the damage. "I have no idea how I'm going to pay for that," said Jack as he began to take a walk to keep himself from cramping.

Kevin followed suite and pursed his lips for a moment, mulling over the possible solutions in his head. "You can't ask your parent's for the cash?" he asked curiously. Jack snorted, his mother was broke and his father, well his father had already stated he wanted nothing to do with him. "Yeah, right, I come from the poorest town in Texas," he stated. No one had money, it was bad and all Jack wanted to do was runaway. He had no interest in returning home, he had done enough. "I see," said Kevin.

Jack's eyes drifted back to the lone surfer as he began to paddle for another wave, his strokes were sure and powerful, before he leapt up and took the wave head on, making him wonder just where that kind of confidence came from. "Look, I don't want pity, I just want to not fail," Jack stated resolutely. He had been pitied all his life after loosing his future thanks to an accident. He didn't want people to look at him as a charity case, just because he was on a scholarship. "I don't want my past to define my future!" he claimed with a hint of irritation.

All the words his father said to him hit him again and again, it was as though he were being beaten by the ocean. Kevin held his hands up and replied, "Hey I get it, believe me I do. We all have a past, it's why we go to college, to get away from it, and maybe, just maybe, gain a better future." Jack paused as he watched the surfer launch himself off the crest of the wave, his board tucked under him, his hand around the edge gripping it as he caught a great deal of air. He looked as though he were finally free, free of all his inhibitions and challenges.

"Yeah," he said sorely, he didn't mean to snap at Kevin, "sorry, I'm just tired of people acting like I'm you know… a charity case," he mumbled. He didn't like the looks he got, clearly his professors had been informed, a bunch of them must have thought it was a joke. "So? Persionally I would be proud to have a scholarship," he said simply, causing Jack to snap his attention to the dark skinned man beside him, "I mean think about it, you had to apply for it and the person who gave it to you, clearly felt that you deserved it."

Not a word was said for a moment, he had never thought of it that way before, he was so accustomed to people telling him it was an embarrassment, but the way Kevin had explained it, it was an honor. "Yeah, you're right," he said with a grin, "Thanks Kev." Kevin slapped him on the back warmly and said with a grin, "Course."

Jack looked back out at the ocean and wondered what Nathan was like surfing, then again he was probably going to do something with physics and the board rather than ride it. He didn't seem like the type to enjoy such a pleasure, or at least he determined that with their brief meeting. "What's Nathan's deal?" asked Jack. Nathan had startled Jack that day, after yelling at him over the BMW. In reality, Nathan's issuance should have covered it, or he could just pay out of pocket. Clearly, he had enough money to do so. At least, that was the impression he had left.

For the first time, Kevin was silent. With a great deal of hesitation, Jack looked at Kevin, only to notice a very different version of the scientist he had never seen. Kevin's normally relaxed gaze looked turbulent, his lips were firm and his arms were crossed. For the first time, he actually looked like the scientist he claimed to be. His broad shoulders lifted as he heaved a sigh, "Nathan… he's been through a lot, more than most," was Kevin's reply.

It was vague at best, and in many ways Jack considered it a scapegoat. "I thought you said everyone has a past," remarked Jack hotly. Kevin shook his head, his face twisted in a grimace, "I did say that, but that question is for him to answer," Kevin said slowly.

The wind gusted off the ocean as Jack looked back to where the surfer was. The tall dark figure had an air of power and command. This stuck Jack, making him wonder just what kind of person could surf as though he owned the waves. The power that shifted under him, to maintain the illusion that he somehow maintained power over the ocean was astounding to him. It made him wonder just what kind of man surfed like that.

~~CT~~

Nathan walked up the stairs his shoes squeaked as he walked back up the stairs. His body was still tingling with adrenalin thanks to the surpising leap off the crest of a wave. In that moment, just for a few seconds he felt truly free. He could remember the feeling of leaving the confinds of earth's gravity and joining the birds in the sky, his hand wrapped around the lip of the board to keep it with him, and his other arm flying out behind him, a counter balance as a grin swept across his lips. He couldn't help but trot up the stairs toward the science building. He felt as though his head had cleared, finally, he could breathe.

He ran a hand through his still damp hair, his fingers slipping through it with little strain. The ocean had been a wonderful escape, it was true that Alex was missing this trip, and he admittedly missed watching her surf, but it hadn't changed the fact that he had managed to make a leap into the sky. Now he understood what it truly felt like to break away from expectations. If only he could find that kind of confidence in a room filled with old men, who wanted to limit him.

A sigh escaped his lips, if only he could figure it out. Jack, the young man who was struggling with math was his next challenge. Nathan walked down the hallway with ease, only to find himself just outside of the room, "Commence the torture," he grumbled as he pushed the door open. Sitting up front was Jack, his face twisted with frustration and his fingers pulling at his hair, as he seemed to strain himself.

For a moment Nathan was silent, his green eyes fell on the scene before him. He watched the young blonde struggle, lips pursed and his posture screamed of irritation. Henry was wrong, he couldn't help Jack, he couldn't begin to explain how numbers just made sense. Even the way in which Jack had done math drove him nuts, it wasn't right, and it irritated him. There was only one way for him to understand what was going on, and that was to get Jack to put a problem on the board, even if Jack would find it humiliating.

Strangely, all of the anger he had felt toward Jack for carelessly denting his Beamer was gone, all that remained was the sadness that Jack was drowning. Nathan shifted his posture, leaning more into the doorway than before, absently he wondered if this was the only class he was struggling in. Part of him prayed it was, because if it wasn't Jack would feel even more pressure, and would emotionally start breaking. If he was going to be of any help to Jack, he was going to have to figure out just what was going on in the man's head.

Nathan pulled out a whiteboard marker and strode over to Jack, "Okay, I want you to put one of your problems on the board," he directed as he tossed the young man the marker. He leaned against the wall and noticed a look of trepidation on Jack's face, "Look I can't help you if you don't allow it," he stated sternly. Jack grit his teeth and walked up to the board to do as he was asked.

With each portion Nathan felt his stomach churn, it wasn't math, he had no idea what Jack was doing. In one line the numbers were in order and the next they didn't seem to line up. "Stop," he snapped, "You have to watch your lines and tailor the formulas!" Frustration began to eat at him as Jack erased it and started again, only to make the same mistakes. Nathan pulled a red marker from his bag and said, "Sit, clearly you don't get it"

A single swipe of the whiteboard eraser destroyed all the evidence that Jack had even attempted the work. Nathan rapidly put it up, without a calculator, the entire solution. "See? Not difficult. You have tools, use them," he chided harshly. Jack remained indifferent and nodded numbly before walking up to the board.

"Another."

Jack did as he was instructed, minutes shifted to hours and with each second Nathan grew more frustrated. He would correct sections and the next problem Jack made the same errors, it was as though he didn't listen. Green eyes drifted to the clock on the wall, they had managed to do 3 problems in 4 hours, that wasn't something he considered good. Espcieally since it would only take him 45 minutes to do the problem set.

"Let's end here for tonight," Nathan said tiredly, he really wanted to work on his own stuff and began regretting taking off to the ocean for a break. "We'll pick up tomorrow, do me a favor and actually read the text as well as review the packets you were given," he hissed in frustration, "If you can't do that by now, you shouldn't be here." His head was throbbing and all he wanted to do was go home and drink a glass of wine.

He didn't hear Jack leave, he honestly didn't care. How he could be attracted to someone so careless was beyond him. "He shouldn't have even been able to graduate," grumbled Nathan as he packed his bag, "Hopeless." He was going to have to speak to Henry before he really made a mess of things. It wasn't that Jack was stupid, he just wasn't the right person to help Jack understand math. In hindsight it was a dreadful idea in the first place, math was easy for him, he could look at basic equations and estimate the answer, and had no issues with the theories. He just didn't know how to show Jack what he saw.

His eyes glided over the work on the board, attempting to make sense of it. It seemed as though he made an error in the beginning and carried it through, yet, what prompted the mistake was what had confused him the most. It had confounded him. Long fingers curled around the gray whiteboard eraser, he paused as he looked at the foam item in his hand. A long time ago, in a class room a lot like this one, things had been the other way, it was Henry erasing the board at the end of the day, only he was surprised by the brilliance of the numbers on the board. Not the terrible math.

Yet, and yet, in this moment, holding the eraser hurt. Nathan grit his teeth as he swiped it across the board, banishing Jack's work to dust.

"This is a fruitless endeavor," he muttered before tossing the eraser aside.

Just as he was about to leave his eyes fell on the packet once again, he didn't want to take it with him, but he felt compelled to do so. Jack **was** his student, at least until he convinced Henry to take over. Nathan snatched the packet from the desk and briskly began to walk toward Henry's office, with a little luck he could have this all cleared up, for both his and Jack's sakes.

~~CT~~

Those words slammed into Jack like the waves of a tsunami, he had heard them too many times before. It wasn't a mystery that he was terrible at math or writing in general. It was also a fact that he had passed school by the nick of his teeth, but that hadn't deterred him before. He wanted to be a Marshal, he wanted the power to protect others from harm. It was primitive and no where near as impressive as Nathan's desire to change the world with science but just as important, or at least he thought it was.

Now he began to wonder what had possessed him to try in the first place. Hearing Nathan say that not only was he hopeless, but in a sense a waste of time, hurt. He didn't know why, it shouldn't have since Nathan was the favorite of the science department, but it did. Somewhere he had hoped that Nathan would be able to help him, only to learn that genius didn't apply to problems like his. Numbly the young blonde walked away, he would get the book he had left behind by accident later. All he wanted to do was get away, as far away as possible. He was failing in his other classes, he didn't need to be reminded how much of a waste he was.

"Idiot," he grumbled.

"Me?" asked a very confused voice.

Jack looked up in shock to see an older African American gentleman standing before him, he was actually shorter than Jack and wore a vivid red shirt with tribal print on it. He was smiling warmly and had his hands in his pockets. "No, not you," amended Jack as he looked at the man whom he now realized was either a student or a professor thanks to the laboratory coat, which was tucked under his arm.

Dark chocolate eyes looked at him with curability as he asked, "Then who?" Jack didn't reply, he just looked at the floor, he didn't have the courage to admit he meant himself. The man crossed his arms and chided, "You better not be talking about yourself, Jack Carter." This made Jack pause and stiffen, of course they all knew the oaf Nathan was wasting his time on. He felt a hand on his arm, it was warm and gentle, yet protective, it was strange he hadn't felt it before. "Let's go talk," he said simply as he guided Jack away from the hallway.

Jack looked over at the man who stopped by an office and tossed his jacket in it, the plate next to the door read, Dr. Henry Deacon, PhD. Instantly Jack knew who he was speaking with, this was the man who was supposed to be his tutor.

"Sorry, I didn't want to tote that around, let's get some food I'm starving," Henry suggested before sauntering in that direction, causing Jack to chase after him.


End file.
